Fate-Creed
by Salarissia
Summary: On the morning of his seventeenth birthday, Michael Williams discovers something that will change his life forever. Will he survive what's been planned for him, or will he be killed in the stories he's come to love? Updated at least once a week!
1. Prologue

_Author's Note and explanations at the end of this chapter. Without further ado, welcome to the prologue of Fate/Creed!_

* * *

_Saturday, July 23rd._

Michael Williams yawned and bid everyone good-night. Various replies of "See ya!" "Goodnight dude!" and the like reached his ears through his headphones. He smiled and logged off of both the game and the voice chat software he'd been using.

Michael took a last look at the "Character Select" screen before exiting out of the game. He glanced at the alarm clock on his bedside table a few feet away. It read: "2:34;" he'd turned 17 almost three hours before without realizing it. He shook his head, thinking of his social media accounts.

_"My friends'll have blown them up for sure,"_ he thought with a chuckle. He stretched and yawned again, then got in bed. _"Today is going to be great!"_

He drifted off to sleep with his phone in his hand. He didn't notice the lights that twinkled in the corner a few feet away.

* * *

_Saturday, July 23rd._

Michael opened his eyes, and stared ahead at the ceiling. Soft, yellow sunlight greeted him through the blinds covering the window. Birds chirped in the early morning air. He groaned and turned over, peeking out from beneath his pillow to see the time: "8:28." He'd gotten a whopping 6 hours of sleep.

Yawning, he stumbled out of bed, going through his morning mental and physical checks. Something felt... Off, but he couldn't quite place it. He remembered a dream with an old man. He remembered it as being important, but couldn't quite remember why. Brushing the thought from his mind, Michael grabbed his glasses of his desk and made his way downstairs.

The first floor greeted him with darkness, mellowed by the morning's light. It was quiet; unusual, but he figured everyone was still asleep. It was mid-July, and a Saturday to boot. _"Dads probably still sleeping, and no one else will be up until later anyways,"_ he thought. _"Might as well start breakfast for them."_

He grabbed a cup from the cupboard and made a glass of coffee. While it was brewing, he headed to the bathroom to wash his face and wake up. The suddenness of the cold water hit him, and he perked up a bit, the tiredness seeming to disappear from his eyes. He stared into the mirror for a minute. A tanned face, rarely seen by his eyes, stared straight back. A thin, but not overly so, face, with a strong jawline. Dark blue-gray eyes peered out from beneath his rectangular glasses. Thick, dark black hair framed his face, light stubble completing the circle to his chin.

He stretched, remembering what his mom and grandmother always said: _"That boy needs to eat, he's too tall and thin!" "Mother, you've seen him eat, he's practically eating us out of house and home!"_

With a chuckle at the thought, he left the bathroom to begin the task before him. As quietly as possible, he retrieved pans and ingredients from the pantry and fridge; bacon, flour, eggs, etc. Half an hour later, the mouth-watering scent of bacon and pancakes wafted through the air.

Michael heard footsteps in the hall. He called out, "I started breakfast already. Plates and everything are on the table, so go ahead and start eating."

"Thank you, young man! Nice to know not all youth these days are irresponsible miscreants." Michael stopped; the voice that had replied certainly didn't belong to one of his family members. It sounded like an old man. Perplexed, he cautiously picked his way towards the dining room.

Inside, a strange sight greeted him. Seated at the head of the table was, indeed, an old man. He looked familiar, but Michael couldn't quite place him. Summoning his courage, he said (in what he thought was an intimidating manner), "Who are you?"

The old man looked up from his pancakes. Michael breathed in sharply; despite the dim light, he could clearly see the man's eyes. They were red, startlingly so. Michael forced himself to look at the man's other features. He had dark, tannish skin. He was smirking; underneath that was a silver-white beard that grew along his jawline and met his hair, which was the same color. He was clad in black pajamas, and an old nightcap, like the kind you'd see in old cartoons, was atop his head.

"Come now boy, sit. It's not polite to gawk at someone this early in the morning!" Chuckling, the old man went back to eating his food and reading the newspaper laid out on the table before him. Startled, Michael stepped back into the kitchen and retrieved his coffee. He was a bit bewildered. He glanced at the clock on the microwave: it read 10:46. Everyone should've been up by then.

_"What the hell is going on here?"_ he thought. Seeking answers, he went back into the dining room, carrying a plate of bacon and pancakes with him. He gingerly took a seat next to the man. He seemed to pay no attention to Michael, focusing instead on that morning's comics section. "He'll probably talk sooner or later. I might as well eat."

After eating, the man had finished his comics. Michael sat starting at him. The man looked at him oddly. "And here I thought you were polite, boy! Don't you know it's rude to stare?"

"You're the one who's in my house uninvited," Michael shot back. "Who are you?"

"Come now, don't you remember last night at all?" The old man said it with a mischievous grin, like he knew something Michael didn't. "You invited me here yourself."

"I don't remember you at all," Michael said, crossing his arms. "I demand to know who you are, right now!"

The old man leaned back in his chair. His expression had changed, and it somewhat scared Michael. A moment ago, he had seemed happy and cheerful. Slight anger radiated from him now, and it put Michael's skin tingling.

"I'd expect such a youngster as yourself to remember my name," he said with a frown. "I am Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg, Wizard Marshall and the fourth of the twenty-seven Dead Apostles." He said it with a sense of matter-of-factness, as if to emphasis certain part.

Michael thought about it for a moment. The name was certainly familiar... But it was impossible. Zelretch couldn't be real. He was a fabricated character. He looked again at the old man; it explained why he looked familiar. "You can't be Zelretch," Michael said. "You're not real! You may look like him, but he's just a fictional character." This was becoming more and more odd by the minute. Zelretch smiled. The smile unnerved Michael. He didn't like where this was going.

"I'm perfectly aware of that, boy. I'm not real in your world... But then, we aren't in your world, are we?" He said it with a grin. Every time he did, Michael became more and more unnerved. He was becoming more scared, but more intrigued at the same time.

"It certainly looks like my world. This is definitely my house. That was definitely my room." Michael looked down at his empty plate. He wondered where his parents and siblings are.

"Look inwards, young man. Surely you can feel the difference." He still had that smile.

Thinking, Michael did notice a slight difference. His body was slightly sore; he figured he'd just slept wrong, or it was from the night before, sitting in his chair. "I'm a bit sore... So what? I probably just slept wrong."

Zelretch laughed. It was a pleasant sound. "My, you are a stubborn one, aren't you?" His eyes glimmered. "Let me help you out. Think of some sort of trigger, like.. Like a gun being shot or a sword drawn."

Michael thought it odd, but he figured he'd humor the old man so he could get some answers. He thought of something. His eyes roamed the room quickly, seeking inspiration for the image. They came to rest on a small case on the entertainment center, a game: Assassin's Creed. Shrugging to himself, he imagined a hidden blade. The arm in his mind stretched it's wrist, the hidden blade flinging itself out of it's sheath.

Nothing happened. "Nothing's happening. What the point of this?" he asked.

Zelretch smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling. "Try again, young man. You'll get it, eventually."

Again, Michael envisioned a hidden blade, the wrist flicking back and forth to spring the blade forth and back. He looked inward as he did so, trying to find whatever it was Zelretch wanted him to find. He felt a small tingle in his spine, and he absently itched it.

Again, he tried. "I don't feel anyth-" Michael stopped, the words caught in his throat as a surge of energy seemed to come out of nowhere in his body and mind. "Wha... What is this?" he asked. He was shocked; it felt vaguely like he had a runner's high, but it was far more energetic than any he'd ever had.

Zelretch smiled. He made a small hand motion, as if telling Michael to find the answer himself. If this man truly was Zelretch... Michael had read of things like this, but they were only in fictitious stories. _"Fictitious stories... That Zelretch was from!"_

Michael's eyes grew wide. "Is this... Magic?" Zelretch laughed again. He clapped; the reaction seemed oddly childish.

"Yes, boy, it's magic! Well, not exactly - it might be magic to you, but it's referred to as either 'magecraft' or 'thaumaturgy' in this world. Very few examples of true Magic exist. But enough of that, you've just opened your magic circuits for the first time on your own!" Zelretch crossed his hands and set his chin over them. "So, how does it feel?" he inquired.

"It feels... Different. It's like a runner's high, but it's... It's far better. It feels good." Michael truly meant it. Even if this was a dream, he'd never imagined magic would be like this. "But if this is truly magecraft... Where am I?"

Zelretch's smile lessened, though not entirely. "I've already told you, young man. We're back in my world."

The conversation continued Michael asking various questions and Zelretch asking some of his own in reply. Michael learned exactly where he was, and what had happened; Zelretch had stolen Michael away from his own world, taking him back to Zelretch's own. In the process, he had given Michael magic circuits and even a magic crest, which he said had been from a extinct, long line of magi. He had given Michael hints to access it on his own, and said Michael would figure it out in time.

Michael was... Confused and hurt, to say the least. He remembered reading somewhere that Zelretch enjoyed tampering with things as he see fit. He also remembered bits and pieces of his power: Zelretch was the user of the Second Magic, allowing him to travel between parallel worlds, and thus bring Michael to his own.

Michael wasn't sure what the purpose of this was. He figured Zelretch was just doing it because, well, he could. Michael excused himself to clean up. He thought about it. The more he thought about it, the more it seemed he didn't know.

When he was done cleaning, he returned to the dining room. Zelretch was gone. It made sense; he was probably a busy man, and had probably only been here to humor himself. It seemed, though, he had left some last words for Michael. There were 2 packages on the table, with a note next to them. It read:

_"Michael,_

_Open it up and see what's inside. I'm sure you'll have plenty of fun with what I've prepared for you. Enjoy it, and make sure not to kill yourself. The Clock Tower seems to think I do that to the majority of my students, for some reason._

_Yours truly,_  
_Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg_

_P.S. There should be enough cash for you to get yourself to get to Japan. I'm sure you'll figure out what to do from there! Make sure you study; it wouldn't do for you to be outclassed with your gifts!"_

More puzzled than ever (he was beginning to think he'd always be confused where Zelretch was concerned), he opened up the first package. It was bigger than the second. Inside were about a score of books, each containing knowledge concerning various magical theories, spells, rituals, and the like. Michael's eyes widened; he was no magus, but surely this was a fortune where they were concerned.

He turned to the second package and opened it. Inside was another note, a few bundles of American currency, and something that looked vaguely familiar, a leather-backed, metal bracer. This note read with a simple sentence:

_"I saw that game on the entertainment center. I figured this catalyst would match you perfectly! Make sure you have a good time!"_

Michael examined the bracer more closely. It was about the length of his forearm. It was rusted, and parts of the metal on top had obviously been broken off. His breath caught in his throat. He recognized what it was.

* * *

_Saturday, July 30th._

A week later, Michael readjusted his bags as he walked off the plane. He was finally here! He'd arrived in Japan not long ago, and now he was in Fuyuki City, the place where the Holy Grail Wars took place. His excitement was evident, and as near as he figured, he had about a year before the next one took place. He wasn't sure which one it was to be, but he already knew which Servant was his to summon. The problem was he wasn't sure how his summoning would effect to total outcome of whichever War he was to take part in.

He'd been reading the books Zelretch had left for him, which detailed the various theories and spells, incantations and rituals that existed. He was highly intrigued, and intended to read as much as he could; nothing like this information had existed in his world. He was delighted when he found a spell that'd help him speak Japanese. It'd made getting through things at his first stop exceptionally easier.

Michael put those thoughts away for the moment. _"Right now, I need to focus on getting a base. I should find a hotel, and then look for an apartment,"_ he thought. He stopped by the help desk before finding his way out of the airport. One of the ladies had recommended a hotel downtown. Michael hailed a cab and gave the driver directions. He looked out the window, taking in the sights, sounds, and smells. It was about 5:30, and the town seemed to be settling down.

When he asked how far they were from the hotel, something caught Michael's eye. The sign read, "Fuyuki Hyatt Hotel," and was situated a ways from a building in construction. He nodded inwardly; that meant he was a number of years from the Fourth Holy Grail War, which meant that he'd be taking part in the Fifth Holy Grail War. The thought excited him; he'd been excited to meet Saber, but this meant he'd be meeting Shirou, Tohsaka, and Archer as well. It also meant making allies would be exceptionally easier. The only one who might've allied with him in the Fourth War would have likely been Waver Velvet.

Michael was disappointed he wouldn't get to meet Rider, also known as Iskander, the King of Conquerors, but he brushed the thought aside. No use crying over spilled milk.

He signed into the hotel and brought his bags up to his room. Michael's thoughts turned again to the coming War. He was excited, but also scared. There was a very real chance he could die, or he'd have to kill someone. He wasn't looking forward to either option.

With a sigh, and those those thoughts in mind, he opened his laptop and began searching for a house or apartment of his own.

* * *

_Friday, September 2nd._

Two months later, Michael opened his eyes. He groaned. His first day of school was today. He'd never had to wear a uniform before. It was an odd feeling for him. The uniform had looked exactly like he'd seen in the Fate/stay night, and it was more comfortable than he'd thought it'd be.

Enrolling for school had been an adventure in itself; apparently, school in Japan actually started in April, got out for summer break, and resumed in September, which was their second semester. It was an odd concept for him, where school started in September and ended for the school year in June.

He shrugged and rolled out of bed. At this rate he'd be late. It wouldn't do to make a bad impression. Especially since his first day of practice was today. Michael learned quickly; the Japanese put big emphasis on manners, politeness, and well, generally everything Michael needed to learn to integrate correctly. He groaned again and cursed Zelretch under his breath, not for the first time and not for the last.

He got ready and left, locking the door of his home behind him.

* * *

Michael walked down the street towards the school, Homurahara Gakuen. It looked just like he'd remembered. Anticipation swelled inside him. He was excited. He'd seen Tohsaka yesterday, though he hadn't talked to her. He didn't see Shirou, though he expected he would at some point. There were about 7 months until the Grail War began, so he expected he'd have to settle down and wait.

Michael planned to focus on other things in the meantime. He'd already joined the track and field team, among other clubs. He enjoyed running, and he looked forward to running with the rest of the team.

He walked down the hall, suitcase in his right hand, directions to his home room in his left. He was late; Michael expected to be. He had no idea where to go, and eventually found his way to his home room, and went in. What greeted him was something he didn't expect: Taiga Fujimura's antics.

Within two seconds of entering the classroom, Michael knew he'd be having an... Interesting time. He'd loved Taiga's antics within the visual novel and the anime, but he didn't imagine it'd be quite like this.

"Oh claaassssssss," she announced in an energetic, cheerful voice, "We have a new class member today!" Although embarrassed by her forwardness, Michael couldn't help but smile at the energetic personality she had. "Please welcome our new student... Michael Williams!" She said it with a flourish, leaning over her desk - a little too far. The next thing Michael knew, she'd overbalanced and landed face first over the opposite side of the desk.

For a second, no one moved or said anything. Then, the entire class was bursting with laughter, and Michael was carried along with it. From all corners of the room came variants of "WAKE UP TIGER!" just like Michael remembered seeing and hearing. Michael chuckled, unsure of how to handle things. Taiga quickly got up and berated the class for using her nickname. When things settled down, she asked him to take an empty seat. He grabbed one by the window.

Michael smiled and looked out the window. Things were going to be interesting from now on.

* * *

After school, Michael made his way towards to track and field. He'd talked with the coach, Takahashi Yamato, the day before. The coach had expressed interest in seeing his abilities. Michael was excited to test himself against the other students.

Coach showed him to a room where he could change, and Michael thanked him and got changed. It was refreshing to wear his old running gear; he'd brought his jersey along, which made him feel bad, but he wasn't in his universe anyways, so there'd be no chance to return it.

Michael laced up his shoes and headed out. The cool, afternoon air felt good on his skin. It was a bit warmer than he was used to - New York was a few degrees higher than Japan was. He jogged towards the track.

He talked with Takahashi for a bit. He explained what he'd done back in America, his events, times, and the like. He was excited to begin his training as soon as possible, but Takahashi wanted to time him for himself. Michael sighed inwardly, and went to the starting line. He had a feeling that he'd be dead tired by the end of the day.

* * *

Michael staggered his way home. His feet ached; he hadn't run that hard, that much in a while. He'd done ever test as well as he could, and he'd even broken a personal record of his, but he couldn't tell if Takahashi had been impressed or not. Only time would tell.

He looked forwards to a shower, dinner, and magical studies tonight. He was more tired than he'd been in a while. All-in-all, he'd had a very long day. He'd enjoyed it though, and he looked forward to the days to come.

* * *

_Hey all, thanks for reading! I understand that some might find this sort of writing boring, but I promise that things will pick up soon! This is just the prologue, the lead-in. It was mostly to introduce our new protagonist, Michael D. Williams, his thoughts and feelings, so you all can get a feel for him. _

_In the chapters to come, Michael will meet both Shirou Emiya and Rin Tohsaka, our other protagonists. Events will not shift primarily to focus on the Holy Grail War until about Chapters 2 or 3, but I will give you guys this: We'll start meeting the Servants next Chapter!_

_Additionally, I'll be answering questions and comments in this section at the end of every installment, along with giving some "stats" and "parameters" on both the Masters and Servants, in the style of the visual novel-RPG that the Fate series originally was, along with my reasoning and explanations for such. The reason for this is that I wish to stay as close to the canon material as possible while writing Fate/Creed, and in the case of certain other things, real-world physics and thoughts._

_This week will focus mainly on Michael. I'll detail his abilities as a magus, and will elaborate further on his and his Servant's appearances and abilities in later chapters' Author's Notes sections._

_He's not a magus in the normal sense of the term, and is only able to use magic craft through Zelretch's interference:_

_Physical Statistics:_

_Height: 190.5 cm (About 6'3")_

_Weight: 84 kg (About 185 pounds; most of this is muscle mass)_

_Magical Statistics:_

_Magic Circuits: 35_

_Prana usage: About 15 times the average magus, about 375 units. Maximum output is 750 units._

_Magic Crest: A gift from Zelretch, it is the relic of an old, extinct magi family. The Crest is located on his chest._

_For reference, Tohsaka has 40 magic circuits (with 30 subs), and can do about 20 times the average magus, making her prana around 500 units, while her maximum output is 1,000 units. Shirou has 27 magic circuits, and has an average prana of ~20-30 units (each magic circuit can barely do 10 units, while becoming damaged in the process; this level of quality is odd concerning the amount of circuits he has). This puts Michael on an slightly above average level, but still far below the most powerful magi and Servants._

_Elemental Affinity:_  
_Wind and Fire. Slight affinity for Earth as well._  
_Some Reinforcement proficiency._

_And with that, the first installment of a Fate/Creed is officially over! I'd like to thank DaItalianFish for help during the creation and editing processes - give their own stories a read - as well as my little brother, who helped shape the initial idea of my own story. Thanks again for reading, and keep an eye out for Chapter 2!_


	2. Chapter 1 - Welcome to the Jungle

_"Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them."_

_Malvolio, Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare, Act 2, Scene 5_

* * *

_Monday, July 21st._

Michael half-walked, half-jogged down the street. He was running late (again). He hadn't liked having to be up early back in his own world, and nothing had changed when he came to this one. He'd made something of a reputation for it at Homurahara Gakuen; the professors loved his personality and grades, but they hated his untidiness and tardiness more.

He sighed as he came to a crosswalk. Red light. _"Great. Now I'm going to be even later."_ Michael let out another exasperated sigh, running a hand through his hair. The light turned green, and he turned towards the street he always took. It was empty.

Michael checked his watch: 6:20. If he didn't get there soon, he'd be late for practice. He was still about a mile, maybe more, from the school. He glanced around quickly; no one in sight. Michael shrugged. _"Why not, no ones around."_

He dove into his inner mind, quickly summoning up the now familiar image of a hidden blade. It activated, and he felt a slight surge as his magic circuits activated. Running over the process in his head, Michael Reinforced his body, and sped off towards the school. He was glad it made him fast; anybody who happened to look would see a blur as he went past, or felt the wind.

Within another minute or so, Michael was at the school. He checked his watch again: 6:22. He smiled. Being a magus never got old.

* * *

By lunchtime, Michael was tired and exhausted. Between everything he did at the school, studying for both school and Magecraft, working, and playing video games competitively, he was beat. He guessed it didn't matter, not for long anyways. Tomorrow marked the start of summer vacation, and he was looking forwards to both rest and the chance to focus more on his Magecraft. He had his feet up on the table and was munching on some fries he'd brought from the school cafeteria. The air in the school today had a generally relaxed feel; everyone, teachers included, was looking forwards to the break.

Michael looked up from his book (one about the various mechanisms and theories concerning Wind Magecraft), to see Kaito and Yamato going at it. He smiled; those two always seemed to be in another argument. They were the best the Chess Club had to offer, and were the only ones who'd beaten him, not just at chess, but numerous card games. He enjoyed their company immensely; they reminded him of two of his friends back home.

He tuned back into the conversation just as Kaito yelled, "Gah! Baka! That's not how that card is played!"

"Don't you call me an idiot, you demon! You know perfectly well that's how it's played, you just don't want to admit you lost!" Yamato responded with a retort of his own.

Michael chuckled. Before he knew it, they'd completely switched games; it seemed they'd both brought their entire arsenal today. He was certainly in for a show.

_"Or not,"_ he thought, as Miyu came into the room. Miyu was a childhood friend of both Kaito and Yamato, though she didn't play chess or any other games. She was an athlete, but to the never-ending despair of her friends, she doted on both of them. They, quite obviously, were both madly in love with her, though she either didn't realize it or chose to ignore it (Michael wasn't sure, Miyu was... Odd, to say the least).

As soon as she strolled in, it looked like neither of the two had ever played a card game in their lives at all. Miyu giggled as she sat down at the head of the table. Where there had just been two young men passionately yelling at each before, now sat two seemingly well-mannered young men eating lunch. Michael chuckled and took his feet off the table.

"So, Miyu-san," Kaito said. "How's your day been?"

Miyu began giggling, and soon, all 4 of them were laughing. Michael was truly glad; of all the people he'd met here, he was most comfortable with these 3.

A group of people passed by, and one of them, Aoi, held back. She stuck her head inside the room, saying, "Michael-sama! The whole track team is going out tonight. Would you like to come with us?" She giggled and batted her eyelashes.

"Sure Aoi-san! I've got work after school, but I'd love to go out with everyone afterwords. Where are we going?" Michael asked.

Aoi giggled again, "I'm not sure, Michael-sama! I'll call you later and tell you when, so be sure to answer!" She smiled and backed out.

While Kaito was busily flirting with Miyu, Yamato took the opportunity to edge toward Michael.

"So, Michael-kun... Aoi-san seems to have a bit of a crush on you, eh?" He winked, elbowing Michael's side as he did so.

Michael felt his face flush. "Shut up, you idiot, we're just friends."

Yamato's eyes narrowed. "Sure, Michael-kun. A pretty girl like that, and you're 'just friends.'" He air quoted "just friends," his eyes and face clearly showing he doubted it. Kaito and Miyu, having paused in their banter, heard his words, and they joined in the conversation, Miyu attempting to give advice, and Kaito and Yamato expressing their doubts about him.

Michael covered his face with his hands and laughed helplessly under their commotion. Every day, it seemed that he was more and more at home. In the middle of their banter, he looked out the door; at that moment, Rin Tohsaka passed by.

She briefly looked into the room as she passed, and their eyes met. Michael felt his breath catch in his throat. She was beautiful, more so than he had expected since arriving more than a year ago, every time he saw her. She continued walking by.

Not for the first time, he thought, _"Yup, just like home..."_

* * *

Michael had met both Shirou Emiya and Rin Tohsaka before, multiple times. He wasn't friends with either, certainly not with Tohsaka (who was, without a doubt, the coldest woman he'd ever met), but perhaps he and Shirou could be considered "acquaintances." Michael was actually in Shirou's class; this is where most of Shirou's knowledge concerning Michael came from.

Michael reflected on this during his next few classes. He'd hoped to meet, and perhaps become close friends with, either of them during his time at the school. Shirou and he had met and discussed some things, nothing major; after all, Shirou was eager to help anyone and everyone, and thus the clubs tended to abuse that. Michael was in many clubs, and saw this happen often. He didn't like it.

The first time Michael met Rin Tohsaka, she completely ignored him - though it was nothing personal, she ignored everyone. While walking down the hallway to his classes, she passed by. He greeted her politely, knowing that her reputation would've preceded her to him and she shouldn't have been surprised he knew her, but he got no response. Not surprised, he continued to his classes.

Michael hadn't had many chances to get to know either; he was somewhat shy and had only come to know the few friends he had through the clubs he'd joined. That being said, he had something of a growing reputation at the school. His grades and test scores were among the best of the best, and he'd led the track and field club to doing very well at the National High School Ekiden Championship in the first year he'd been attending school at Homurahara Gakuen (although, to his personal annoyance, foreigners weren't allowed to compete in the longest leg of the relay - forcing him to run the shorter distance leg).

Michael wasn't much of a social person; he never had been, and never would be. He hoped he'd be able to help either of them (or convince them to not kill him) when the Holy Grail War finally began.

* * *

Michael strolled home, one hand in his pocket and the other holding his suitcase. School had ended not too long ago, and everyone had rushed out, eager for summer break to truly begin.

He headed home. He had to work in little over an hour, and wasn't exactly looking forward to it. _"Great, first day of break, and I'm stuck working."_

Sighing, he reached his house. It wasn't huge; it certainly wasn't anything like he remembered Tohsaka's or Shirou's homes being, but it was his and he was proud of it.

Michael unlocked the front door and walked into the first room. It was a split room, much like the main room of Shirou's home. There was a small table on one side of the room, with 2 chairs. A couch and a coffee table were in the center of that half of the room. An entertainment center was situated against the opposite wall, a medium-sized television sitting atop it. The kitchen side of the room contained a permanent island, with storage below it for pans, as well as a stove/oven combo, a small double-door refrigerator, and sink. There was a spice rack on the wall, and a cupboard underneath that, offering storage for any dry foods and products he had.

The hallway leading out from the living room side ended in one room at the end of the hall. Two rooms were on the left side of the hallway; two more were on the right. The two rooms on the right were largely identical, although one's walls were unadorned. That was the guest bedroom, the first being his own. The first room on the right was a bathroom, containing a washer and dryer, a sink, and a shower. It wasn't large by any means, but that suited Michael. The second room on the right was his second favorite room in the house. It contained various equipment for training, and had a padded floor to match. Weightlifting and running equipment was situated sparsely and practice targets were lined up against one wall. Racks on either side of the room's window contained various practice weapons, swords, bows, and the like.

The room at the end of the hall was his favorite, by far. It was the biggest room in the house, and had two windows. Three of the walls were completely covered by bookshelves, packed full of books of various sorts, nonfictional, fictional, and also those containing information on Magecraft. The fourth wall had nothing on it, but under the window was a large desk, with a large computer on it. It was Michael's pride and joy, crafted over the years by his own hands. The best part was that it was connected to speakers located throughout the house, allowing him to play all of his favorite music in any room.

Truthfully, Michael loved the house. It was his little piece of a heaven, a home that was truly his in a world that he didn't belong in.

Some of his friends thought it was odd, though. Being Japanese, they were not accustomed to the various furniture he had, such as a couch, the chairs, and the table that admittedly wasn't like anything any of them had at home.

He chuckled at the thought. It never ceased to amaze him that as much alike as they were, there were still fundamental differences. Shrugging the thought away, Michael placed his suitcase inside his room, and quickly changed into his work uniform.

Michael had some time before he had to leave, so he decided to check the news. Turning the television on, the first report was of various artifacts being stolen from museums around the city and surrounding area. He shook his head; more and more robberies had been taking place, which was odd. What was more odd was that the robbers either left the entire museum alone, or they took things that weren't very valuable (comparatively), like a shroud archaeologists had excavated from Italy, or a ball they'd found inside an underwater temple.

A few minutes later, he turned off the television and headed out the door to work.

* * *

Michael woke up the next day on his couch. He'd worked until about 9 o'clock the night before, and had been out with friends until almost 12 (only three of them; Aoi had been a bit misleading about "the entire team" going). Exhausted, he looked up; the clock above the television read "12:28."

He sat up and stretched. He had to start planning; the Holy Grail War was going to begin soon, and his Command Spells had already appeared on the back of his left hand. According to the books, he had to have certain ingredients for the ritual to succeed. He already had a catalyst. He just needed some blood, a summoning circle, and somewhere to summon his Servant.

Michael had had an idea some time ago: he remembered Waver Velvet had summoned Rider over a leyline in the forest outside the city. If he used the leyline, it might make the summoning easier on him. It seemed a sound idea. He'd never done a summoning before, so he wanted to make it as good as possible.

Michael remembered something he'd read; Saber, the Servant Shirou would end up summoning, was a fantastic Servant under a good Master, someone like Rin. But under someone like Shirou, with a poor summoning to boot, her abilities were greatly weakened. He did not wish for that to happen, so he intended to take extra precautions to prevent it.

He packed a bag with books on rituals, another fictional book for pleasure reading, and some food, along with the catalyst and paper, to track his progress. Michael didn't know exactly where the leyline was, so he had to plan in case he couldn't find it, or accidentally found it earlier than expected.

With that in mind, he took a shower, dressed in his most comfortable outfit, grabbed his wallet and bike, and headed out.

* * *

Two weeks later, he was in the forest surrounding Fuyuki City. It stretched for miles in every direction, and though he'd been out here almost every day for the first two weeks of summer break, he'd had yet to find a clue as to the whereabouts of the clearing.

After the first day, he'd decided to look through his books for a way to locate it using his Magecraft. He hadn't been able to find anything, so he supposed he would just have to find it the old fashioned way.

Michael had debated going to Tohsaka Rin for help, but had quickly thrown that idea out. For one, they didn't know each other all that well. Secondly, he'd wanted the keep his identity as a magus secret; asking for help wouldn't have been good for his plans for the War. Finally, asking for help, to find the location of a leyline no less, would've been very suspicious. Nope, it'd have to be the old fashioned way.

After what seemed like a long while, he stopped in a clearing. He sighed, and checked his watch. It read "6:47 p.m.". Michael groaned. He thought of just going home for the rest of the day. He sat down against a tree and opened his backpack, taking out some food. Michael idly looked around the clearing. It was beautiful, the sun was shining through the canopy above, with a little space through it. Some of the sunlight shown clear through this, and in the late evening light, Michael noticed something: the ground had a little groove in it.

He brightened; this might be the place. He searched with his mind, and to his delight, found some traces of prana in the air and ground. Michael smiled; this was certainly the place. Happy he'd stumbled across it, he set out, clearing the space from debris and leaves. Most of the summoning circle Waver had used was gone, and only bits and pieces of it remained. Not surprising - it had been 10 years, after all.

Michael took out the book on rituals and began to work, carving into the ground with a pocket knife.

* * *

3 hours later, Michael stood before the finished summoning circle. The ground was carved with a myriad of symbols and shapes, and he'd spent the better part of two hours checking and rechecking it. A small altar stood opposite him, the catalyst sitting atop it. With the moon low in the twilight sky, he judged it was time to start the summoning. Michael had already killed the chickens; he placed their blood over the circle. He opened the book to the pages he'd marked beforehand; on them were inscribed the words of power he intended to use to summon his Servant.

Michael closed his eyes, and stretched his left arm towards the circle, reciting out loud the incantation, imagining the trigger to activate his magic circuits as he did so:

_"Shut. Shut. Shut. Shut. Shut. Five perfections for each repetition. _

_And now, let the filled sigils be annihilated in my stead!"_

Michael felt something shift in the air. He could feel the power building, taxing his strength.

_"Ye first, O silver, O iron. O stone of the foundation, O Archduke of the Contract. _

_Hear me in the name of my great teacher, the Wizard Marshall Zelretch._

_Hear me, thee who wishes peace, but deals of murder, who seeks to open minds, but demands obedience, who reveals the danger of blind faith, yet practices it thyself."_

He saw the circle begin to glow, reacting to his words. A breeze began, slightly ruffling the grass, his clothes, and hair.

_"Let the descending winds be as a wall. _

_Let the gates in all directions be shut, rising above the crown, and let the three-forked roads to the Kingdom revolve."_

The breeze grew stronger, the circle glowing more brightly. He could feel the power in the air; it made his skin tingle. He went on:

_"Set. Set._

_Let thy body rest under my dominion, let my fate rest in thy shadowed blades.  
If thou submitteth to the call of the Holy Grail, and if thou wilt obey this mind, this reason, then thou shalt respond."_

The power surging through him began pulsating, reacting with the outside world. The breeze grew ever stronger. His clothes flapped, his air blew around wildly. He heard branches snap, and a sound, the whine of pure power flowing, gained in strength and grew louder.

_"I make my oath here: I am that person who is to become the virtue of all Heaven. _

_I am that person who is covered with the evil of all Hades._

_Thou seven heavens, clad in a trinity of words, come past they restraining rings, and be thou the hands that protect the balance!"_

All the sounds grew louder, nearly deafening him. As he finished the last incantation, there was a loud bang, and mist grew seemingly out of nowhere. A bright, final flash of light caused him to shield his eyes, and he heard feet touch the ground softly.

Michael turned to look. Standing before him, knee deep in the mist, was a man cloaked in black and gold armor and robes. The metal portions of the armor were black, and appeared to have a gold tint, while the leather portions were completely black or dark brown. Unlike most chest plates, it appeared to be made up of several overlapping metal guards. A black cloak accompanied the armor, and the robes were made up of three layers. Each layer was longer than the one above it, and the longest, lower layer was segmented, giving the whole piece a look resembling an eagle's wings. A hood was pulled up over his head, concealing his features.

Knee-high leather boots adorned his feet, adorned with the same style of metal the protected the other parts of his body. He wore two bracers, the left appearing nearly the same as the catalyst, the one on his right smaller and less ornate in appearance. A belt circled his waist, with a buckle similar to the mark on the left bracer. Throwing knives were sheathed in it and other places on the robes. A knife was sheathed on his right hip, a sword to his left. He looked very, very dangerous.

Michael was exhausted from the summoning, and apparently didn't realize 3 things: first, he'd collapsed to his knees from the effort. Secondly, the man appeared to have said something. Thirdly, the man had walked towards him, and bent down on one knee, pulling back his hood as he did so. Michael's head hurt; the summoning had taken more out of him than he'd expected.

"I ask of you again: are you my Master?" Michael nodded weakly. "Then the Contract is complete." The man extended a hand, which Michael took, then stepped back and bowed in an extravagant fashion.

"I am of the Assassin-class," he said, "so I suppose you're best off calling me 'Assassin.' However, my real name is -"

"- Ezio Auditore de Firenze," Michael finished. He couldn't see the man's expression; he blacked out, and the ground rushed up to meet him.

* * *

Michael rode his bike back home, slowly. As best he figured, the meadow was a good 2 hours outside town. He'd marked the general area on a map, in case he needed it again.

He'd passed out after initially summoning Assassin; without the Grail fully supporting it, the summoning was difficult. When he'd come to, it was late morning, and there were the remains of a fire smoldering a few feet away. Michael guessed Assassin had built it and then gone into spirit form in order to conserve Michael's prana. The time was 12:37 p.m.; he'd been out for more than 13 hours.

As it was, though, he was happy with his Servant, though he still wasn't sure how Zelretch had managed to help him summon a "fictional" heroic spirit.

_"I suppose it doesn't matter. After all, Magecraft and magic isn't supposed to exist either."_ Michael chuckled at the thought. Even after almost a year, Zelretch still didn't seem any less confusing; if anything, he was _more _confusing than when Michael had first met him.

_"I guess this world's history is slightly different than mine. That makes sense, although... Will this effect the Holy Grail War at all? What about Caster's Assassin or Zouken's True Assassin?" _The thoughts weighed heavily on Michael. He didn't want to change things up too bad, but he might've already done so by simply summoning his own Servant.

"I'm just going to have to wing it," he thought, or said rather, as he got a response from Assassin.

"Just going to have to wing what?" The question, voiced from behind him, startled Michael. He turned around He could see Assassin, though he had to remind himself that no one else could.

"I'll explain later, it's too open out here. Someone could hear us." Assassin nodded. They were just reaching the outskirts of Fuyuki City; another 20 minutes or so and they'd be home, depending on the morning traffic.

* * *

When he walked through the door, Michael said, "Alright Assassin, you can assume physical form now. We're safe - and alone - here." He wasn't joking; his home, on the opposite side if the river from the harbor, was the only building for a few minutes walk. Michael had put boundaries and the like up as well, so he'd know if there was anyone around the house.

Assassin came fully into view, still cloaked in his battle garb. Now that he was in the light, Michael was better able to admire the armor. He'd loved the piece when he'd played the game; seeing it up close and personal, in real life no less, was simply amazing.

"Feel free to walk around the house. There's a second bedroom; down the hall, second door to the left."

Michael turned around to prepare some food. He was ravenous. He hadn't eaten a proper meal since yesterday morning. A few minutes later, he looked around; Assassin was still standing there.

"If I need to use a Command Spell, I will Assassin," he joked. He thought about it for a moment. "Look, you're going to be fighting _alongside_ me, not _for_ me. I don't like the way that I've heard about other Masters treating Servants. You guys are Heroic Spirits; you should be respected and treated as equals, not tools to serve the magus's will to reach the Grail."

Assassin still stood there, seemingly unconvinced. He had his arms crossed, and his eyes were slightly narrowed.

Michael put the food in the oven and turned around to wash the dishes he'd used. "Listen dude, just go put on some casual clothes, we'll eat and I'll explain things. Then we'll go out around the city and scout around so you can get a feel for the place. My way of thinking will make more sense then."

Apparently sated, Assassin nodded slightly, then turned for the hallway. When he came back, Michael had seated himself on the couch, and was watching the news. More news coverage of the museum thefts, a segment on some new stuff at the harbor, and the coverage for the preparations for the ceremony honoring those killed in the fire ten years ago.

Michael looked up and greeted him. He was wearing leather boots, white jeans, and a white collared dress shirt, with a light brown leather vest worn over it. The outfit reminded Michael of how he looked when Ezio had been just a Noble, not an assassin.

Michael nodded at him. "A look befitting a Florentine noble." Assassin's head tilted a bit. "I know more than you think. Like I said, let me explain." Assassin nodded again and sat on the couch. Michael got up and retrieved the pizza rolls from the oven (he loved these, though he didn't get them often).

He set them on a plate and asked, "Would you like something to drink?" Assassin shook his head, and Michael shrugged. He went back to the living room.

Before he sat back down, he said, "Alright, first off, let me properly introduce myself. My name is Michael Williams. I'm 18 years old and I'm a magus, although admittedly not the best." He extended a hand.

Assassin took it and shook. "You obviously know this already, but... I am Ezio Auditore de Firenze, though that name likely no longer means anything, even in Italy." He bowed.

Michael nodded and took a seat. "First off, let me explain... I'm sure you know something of magic and magecraft already." Assassin nodded. "Well, _true_ magic doesn't really exist anymore, not really widespread. To begin with, there's about... 5?... Or so instances of true magic left in the world, unique to certain individuals. Magecraft, what I and the other Masters use, is something that's different, though I could probably talk all day about it.

"Long story short, there's this dude who is able to use the Second Magic, the operation of parallel worlds. His name is Zelretch. On the night of my 17th birthday, he took me away from my world, and brought me to this one. I'm not really sure why; he just kinda does things like that."

Assassin nodded. Michael couldn't tell if he believed him or not, but went on anyways. "There are differences between my own world and this one. For one, magic and Magecraft, so far as I knew, didn't exist. I didn't gain my abilities until Zelretch brought me to this world and gave them to me. For another... Zelretch and the people I know in this world were fictional." Assassin nodded again, more slowly this time. Michael cleared his throat.

"That's not all... You were fictional too. That's why I know things about you and your legends that no one else does. Most people in this world would believe you were just an assassin out for revenge, yes?" Assassin nodded again, albeit more slowly this time. He seemed to be deep in thoughT. "Well, I know, for one, you guys, the Assassins I mean, fought against, and probably still do, if they still exist, against the Templars. I know things that wouldn't have been written down - like what happened down under the Vatican in Rome. About the Assassins, Templars, the artifacts of Eden... Everything."

Assassin nodded again. Michael wasn't sure if Assassin believed him or not. He probably wouldn't, that's for sure. It was a weird thing to say. "Anyways, I'll explain my feelings on the bond between Master and Servant. To put it simply, you guys are Heroic Spirits. You've all shaped the modern world through your actions. You're known worldwide, and are, well, godly compared to the rest of us. Other than that, you aren't just spirits, or tools to be used by the Masters. You're people too, and should be treated as such.

"I'd hate to be treated as nothing more than a tool. I hate that Zelretch brought me here without my permission, and I hate that I've heard stories and seen other masters treating their Servants that way.

"Well, that's that. I'm not going to treat you as a tool. As an Assassin and a hero, you deserve more than that. I'm not going to command you to do things unless absolutely necessary. I'd like to fight with you as an equal, not your Master."

Finished, Michael grabbed a pizza roll and ate it. When he looked back, Assassin was smiling at him. "What?" Michael asked, mouth still full of pizza rolls. Assassin laughed.

"You're insane, my friend. But I can tell by your eyes that you're sincere. Leonardo had that same look - But then, he was insane as well!" He began laughing again.

_"Leonardo? Da Vinci?"_ Michael chuckled as well. "So you believe me?"

"Eh. Maybe, maybe not. We shall see. The important thing is that we'll need to prepare for the War. And judging by the television, the Templars as well." He pointed at the television.

"What do you mean?" Michael asked. He turned the television up a bit. "That's just the museum thefts. It's a bit weird, but they're probably just selling the stuff on the black market or something."

"Not quite. You said you've seen my memories. What does that orb look like?" Assassin said it with a sort of grim acceptance, like he was prepared for what was coming.

Michael examined it more closely. It had some markings on it, but otherwise the picture just looked like a regular orb. Realization dawned on him after a few minutes of thought. "I'm not sure... It can't be an... An _Apple_, can it?"

Assassin held out his hand, cupping his palm. A golden orb materialized on it. "You tell me."

Michael felt his mouth drop. "Is that a...? How? What? I didn't know you had one as well! This is great, that has to be the most versatile Noble Phantasm that'll be in this War!"

Assassin thought about it for a moment. "You're probably right... You said you knew most of what would happen in this War, no?" Michael nodded. "Well, the Grail brings us back for a wish. I have no wish, other than to fight against the other Servants. Please, do not spoil anything for me, unless it is necessary."

Michael thought of it. "Alright," he agreed. "I'm actually not completely sure how things will turn out this time around; my existence here and your summoning has likely already changed events. However, I still will know everyone's identities and powers, so that shouldn't change anything in that regard."

Assassin nodded. "I assume you have a plan then?"

"Yes," Michael said. "A basic one, depending on what happens, but it should work for the first few days of the War. After that, it depends on what the others will do. First things first though, we have about a month, maybe two, until it begins. That'll give us some time for you to adjust to the city and for us to get to some training done."

"About that..." Assassin grinned, a slight twinkle in his eye. "I actually might be able to do something to help. Are you trained in physical combat?"

"Slightly, I guess. I'd be okay in a fist fight, able to hold my own, but I haven't had training in years. I'm an athlete at school though, if that changes anything."

Assassin crossed his arms, thinking. "If we're going to be fighting alongside each other, you'll need to be able to handle yourself in a fight capably. Your Magecraft won't last forever, no?"

"Right. My energy will replenish little by little as time passes, but there's pretty much a set limit on how much I can do per day." Michael shrugged. "I'm able to cast a little more than the average magus, but it's nothing compared to the best."

Assassin stood. "That's fine. I saw the training room across from the room you gave me. I'd like to see it."

"Alright. It's not the best, but it works for what I need it for."

* * *

The two of them went to the training room. Michael went to the far side; racks on either side of the window contained various practice and training weapons. Assassin examined everything.

"Interesting..." he said. "Do you have any actual weapons?"

Michael shook his head. "Aside from the throwing knives and the bow, I don't have anything. I could pick something up, but it'd be a long while before I'd be of use with them."

"But you said you had some training in fist fighting?"

"Yeah, I trained in a little bit of jeet kun do, though I stopped shortly before coming to this world. I still practice a little, mostly to keep in shape better. It's a style of martial arts created by Bruce Lee, and the basic aim is to fight with minimal movement for maximum effect, with extreme speed. It's a reactionary fighting style, using fists, legs, trapping techniques, and grappling techniques, among other things."

"So you fight by reacting to your enemies? With counters and such?" Assassin seemed intrigued.

"Yeah. It's a good self-defense combat style." Michael shrugged. "I'm a bit slower than I used to be, but if worst comes to worst, I can just use some Reinforcement Magecraft to amplify my abilities."

Assassin settled into a combat stance on the padded floor. "Show me, without using your Magecraft."

Michael just stared at him. "Are you serious? You want me to fight you, a Heroic Spirit? Even if I was at peak physical condition, I couldn't fight you." He chuckled.

Assassin smiled. "I'll go easy on you. Promise." Michael sighed. _"I'm a bit more tired than I should be... But sleeping as I did, I should be okay for a quick spar."_

"Alright. My funeral." He relaxed, and cleared his mind, before settling into his own ready stance, right foot slightly forward, left foot behind, right arm forward and palm up, left arm coiled near his waist, fist closed. He took a deep breath. "Ready."

For a moment, neither moved. Michael focused, searching for any hint of movement. Assassin moved suddenly, speeding forward, right fist leading. Michael tensed, then lightly grabbed it with his left, lifting his knee to knock the second blow that was coming from Assassin's left fist.

Michael turned to the side, then shot his right fist forward, through the opening on Assassin's left ribs. Not surprisingly, Assassin saw it coming and shifted, Michael's fist moving wide. Michael sensed a kick coming, and leaned to his right, and Assassin's left leg kicked out over his body, barely missing.

Within a few minutes, he was sweating, attempting to keep his breathing light and under control. Assassin was breathing lightly as well; Michael couldn't tell if he was was working hard at all. He didn't think so; he was surprised he'd been able to counter any of his moves at all.

After a few more rounds, Michael was dead tired. The workouts and the summoning had done him a good one. He sat down against the wall, trying to catch his breath. He hadn't worked that hard in a while. He'd been hit more than a few times, but he'd gotten in a few shots himself as well.

Assassin smiled. "Not bad. It's a good fighting style. I don't think you could stand against a Heroic Spirit for long, but you'd keep them off balance with it for a few seconds, at least."

Michael smiled tiredly. "Well, that's good to hear. Do I pass?"

"With flying colors, my friend." Assassin came over and clapped him on the back. "I suppose we're going to have to get you weapons to go along with that." He thought for a minute. "Where's the catalyst you used to summon me?"

"It's just an old hidden blade. Do you want to see it?" Assassin nodded. "Alright, let me go get it."

Michael returned a few minutes later, the old bracer in tow. He handed it to Assassin as he walked in. Assassin examined it.

"Hmm... This is old. I might be able to restore it though, depending on the materials we can get." Assassin looked at him, with an inquisitive look. "So, do you think you're up for it?"

"What?" Michael was confused. "Why would you restore that?"

"So you can use it, of course. If we're fighting as equals, it's only right that you become an Assassin as well." He said it so nonchalantly, it took a minute for Michael to register it.

Michael was stunned. He'd been excited to be part of the Holy Grail War. He'd been ecstatic to find out he could be a magus. Being an Assassin would be... Well, awesome! He loved playing the Assassin's Creed series back in his world. To actually _be_ a part of that would be a dream come true.

Assassin continued. "Tell me, my young friend. Would you like to become an assassin?" Michael nodded. "Good. Then we shall begin your training immediately."

* * *

By the end of the summer vacation, Michael was more tired than he was before. On top of continuing to study and practice his Magecraft, he and Assassin were out most nights, either practicing assassin skills like hiding, free running, and the like, or in the house practicing weapon skills. Assassin was impressed with his dedication; by the end of the first week, his abilities had improved significantly, though no where close to Assassin's own.

He was able to partly make up for his inferior skills by using his Magecraft. He could use the wind to help shield himself from prying eyes, as well as push him farther than he could physically go himself. Reinforcement was able to push his body to and past it's limits; he could run faster, jump higher, and fall from higher heights than normal. His earth Magecraft was also able to help in this effect; cushioning the ground to absorb his fall.

Using these methods, he was able to keep up with Assassin, who was still evidently far better than he (Michael insisted Assassin held back to allow Michael to keep up). Aside from his physical skills, Assassin had made true to his word and fixed the hidden blade that had been his catalyst, using bits and pieces gathered around town and the knowledge of the Apple of Eden. Michael liked it; it felt good on his wrist.

Assassin insisted that Michael wear it everywhere, for his own protection. It didn't matter to him either way; Assassin was with him, whether in physical or spirit form, and he had both his own skills and his Magecraft to protect himself.

When they weren't training or out running, Michael was reading up on Magecraft or resting. He didn't know what Assassin was doing at those times; Assassin disappeared, whether physically or spiritually. He often heard sounds, pops, flashes, and bangs, coming from Assassin's room, but he decided it was best not to ask.

The two began stocking up on various supplies as well. Medical supplies, throwing knives, arrows and bullets, and the like. Using the Apple, Assassin and Michael had added various upgrades to Michael's gear. They added a gun armament to Michael's hidden blade, similar to Assassin's own, as well as another hidden blade to accompany his first, equipped with a hook blade as well. Michael wore both everywhere; when asked, he simply told his friends or whomever asked that they were ceremonial bracers given to him by his parents.

Michael decided to forego using any primary weapons other than the hidden blades. He couldn't carry them at school, and the blades would accompany him everywhere, so he and Assassin figured it'd be best for him to focus solely on using them. He practiced with the throwing knives and bow, as well as further improving his free running skills, which were aided by the hook blade attachment they'd created to go with his secondary hidden blade.

Assassin taught Michael various techniques using them. Counters, grapples, assassination techniques, etc. Michael was able to come up with some of his own using the aid of his own jeet kun do and his Magecraft. Reinforcement did wonders to help as well; if he timed it right, he could use Reinforcement to increase his speed and strength suddenly for a surprise strike, or constantly to aid in prolonged combat.

Practice sessions slowed during school, and Michael grew stronger as the year came to a close, through both the training and the Grail coming close to materializing, lessening the burden of Assassin's presence. Weekends were full of intense sessions of practice combat, or running around Fuyuki, searching for evidence of Templar activity. Using his knowledge of the Assassin's Creed universe and clever use of the internet, Michael was able to determine Abstergo, the face of the modern Templars, had several facilities in and around the Fuyuki area. Their night sessions often involved scouting and infiltrating these buildings, removing Templar operatives, objectives, and generally being hindrances. Michael excelled at removing technological barriers like security devices and systems.

Assassin gifted Michael with something Michael considered nearly priceless one night before such an infiltration mission: his very own assassin robes. Assassin told him this was the project he'd been working on when they weren't out.

The outfit itself was very much like what Assassin himself had worn during his time as the Mentor of the Roman Brotherhood, albeit the robes were mostly black with tinges of white, suiting Michael's aesthetic style. The armor was like Assassin's own, crafted using the knowledge gained from the Apple, and the cloth itself was durable. It was lightweight, but exceptionally durable.

Michael was speechless, and happy; he'd gone through many hoodies and pants, having been shot at, only surviving through using Reinforcement to protect himself. His clothes usually didn't survive such encounters. The robes would act as a further precaution to protect his identity and his body. Michael cherished them.

* * *

_Saturday, December 27th._

It was the middle of winter break. Assassin had gone out to do something while Michael stayed home to rest. Assassin had agreed to stay in his spirit form; although the strain of summoning and maintaining him had taken less of a toll over time, it was still somewhat difficult and Assassin stayed in spirit form most of the time to lessen the burden.

Michael lay on the couch, flipping through the television channels. Nothing on the t.v. was particularly interesting on Saturday nights. He yawned, eventually dosing off.

When he awoke the next morning, there was a note on the coffee table. Assassin had written it, and left some instructions. Judging by the words, Michael guessed he wouldn't see the assassin, even in spirit form, until the meeting that evening.

Michael spent the day preparing, making sure his robes were in good condition and were well stocked with equipment, like medical supplies, throwing knives, and the like. The robes contained pockets and compartments, allowing for concealment and storage of many things.

When the time came, Michael donned the garments and headed out, seeking the meeting place.

When he arrived at the warehouse, there was another note, and well as a picture. Michael and Assassin had killed Templars before, but Michael had never done it alone. He was anxious.

The note contained pieces of information. A high-ranking bank executive was using her ties and abilities to siphon funds from the bank to feed the Templars efforts in the area. Assassin wanted this stopped, but noted he couldn't help Michael that night, for whatever reason (none was given). He detailed the target's description, office, and habits. Michael had a small window to get into the bank, and get out. If he succeeded, he was to meet Assassin on top of a large building near the river.

Nervous, Michael began his journey to the bank. It lay across the river; he'd have to cross the bridge without being seen. He did so using a combination of his hook blade and Magecraft to traverse the underside of the bridge itself. A bit difficult, as the moon's light was concealed by dark clouds.

Getting into the bank itself was a different matter entirely. The building was larger than those around it, much larger; he'd have to climb to the top and find a way in on the roof.

Michael took a running start and leaped out over the edge. He made the leap easily, and softened his impact using Magecraft. He didn't have much time, so he sped his ascent using Magecraft once again, climbing hand over hand up windowsills and small handholds in the brick.

On the rooftop, he had two choices; he could either go through the ventilation shafts, or break through the door and make his way down. He decided the latter route; the security room was close to the roof. If he headed there first, he could incapacitate the guards there and remove any likelihood of video recordings of him existing.

Michael picked the lock and made his way down, proceeding in a toe-heel step fashion to soften his footsteps. For the moment, he chanted a quick incantation of Wind Magecraft, making himself largely concealed. He reached the security office and readied his poison blade attachment; he'd have to put the guards asleep quickly, and move as fast as possible.

He quietly opened the door; inside where 2 guards. Neither was standing close to the alarm. Michael mentally steadied himself, then rushed through the door. He quickly jabbed the first guard in the abdomen and swept her legs out from under her; the poison began taking effect immediately, and she was soon asleep.

The second guard took a bit longer; Michael had to wrestle with him for a few minutes before he was unconscious from lack of air. He injected him with the sleeping poison as well, for extra security.

Michael quickly scanned the video screens. His target was still at her desk, apparently filing paperwork. He noted that the window was open behind her, and faced the riverfront. A good chance for few witnesses, especially in the dark night. _"Excellent,"_ he thought. _"A perfect route of attack."_

The Templar herself was on the 24th floor; Michael was now on the 30th. He'd have to move quickly.

Michael arranged the sleeping guards so that it would seem they had turned off the video equipment accidentally in their sleep. The male was more difficult than the woman; he was bigger than Michael by quite a bit.

He left the room, proceeding as quickly and as silently as he possibly could. He trained his ears, listening for any sounds around him. This high up, guards weren't likely to be on high alert. He intended to take advantage of that.

Michael turned of lights were he could, concealing himself better. The video cameras remained off; that was a good sign. Within 20 minutes, he was inside the room above his target's, having incapacitated 3 more guards. He quietly opened a window and carefully made his way down the side of the building.

Michael peeked over the lip of the window. She still sat at her desk, unaware of the assassin behind her. Michael lifted himself up onto the edge as quietly as he could, keeping his eye on the woman. He gently lowered himself inside. She still seemed unaware.

He crept up behind her. Michael tensed; she had stopped writing. He dived towards her, Reinforcing himself, as she stood up and turned around, pointing a gun at him. He easily caught her halfway through the motion, and put her in a headlock.

She was no match for him; his Reinforced limbs restrained her completely. She stiffened as he jabbed her with the poison blade on her wrist; by the time the poison had done it's work, the mark would be gone and she would be dead. Michael kept her in a headlock for the time being; she was soon unconscious and he could then set up the scene to make it look like she had died suddenly of a heart attack.

With that in mind, he set her back at her desk, then scanned the room, looking for clues to Templar plans.

The first thing he found was the most obvious; she was wearing a ring that bore the Templar mark. Michael pocketed this as proof of her death for Assassin. Next, he rummaged through her desk, looking for any papers describing activities. He doubted he'd find much, if anything, but he struck gold a few minutes later when he found a hidden compartment in her desk drawer; a false bottom.

Inside, she'd stashed a few files. One contained various descriptions of possible artifacts of Eden contained at museums and households worldwide. Michael pocketed that as well. The second file contained what he believed was a coded message. He didn't know what it was, but as it was also in the hidden compartment, it was bound to be important. He slipped that into a pocket as well.

Michael rearranged the room to make it as he had found it, then slipped out. He was certain he'd made it in and out without being recognized or seen; the guards wouldn't remember anything either, due to the type of poison he'd used. He made a mental note to keep track of the news for a few days, to make sure the story wasn't extensively covered or investigated.

* * *

About an hour later, he'd scaled the top of the building Assassin had marked. It looked ordinary enough, except for one thing: a small, smokeless fire burned in a brazier at a corner. Assassin stood near it, facing him.

Michael made his way towards him. As he approached, Assassin said, "Laa shay'a waqi'un moutlaq bale kouloun moumkine. The wisdom of our Creed is revealed through these words."

"Where other men blindly follow the truth, remember..."

"Nothing is true."

"Where other men are limited by morality or law, remember..."

"Everything is permitted." Michael finished.

"We work in the dark to serve the light. We are Assassins." Assassin spoke the last words, finishing the ceremony. He gestured towards the brazier, and Michael stepped closer.

"Are you ready, Michael?" Michael nodded. "Hold out your hand. This will only hurt a moment."

Michael did as asked. Assassin pulled something from the flames, and Michael felt a sting on his left ring finger. He looked down; the Assassin insignia was branded on it. He felt pride swell inside him; he was fully an Assassin now, by edict of the greatest of their order himself.

He looked up. Assassin stood on the lip of the building, pointing out towards the river. Michael knew what came next. He climbed up next to his mentor and kept out, completing the last part of the ceremony; a leap of faith.

* * *

_Hey all! Hoped you guys liked this chapter! Anyone excited to finally meet Michael's Servant?_

_This chapter was about 9,000 words without the AN; you can expect most to be about as long as, or longer than, this chapter, depending on events that happen within them. The story and action will speed up a bit, now that we're about a month from the Holy Grail War itself._

_I'll provide more explanations for everything, just like I promised, in this chapter's AN. More of Michael's and Assassin's abilities will be revealed (not all of them though!), and other things as well!_

_First, the characters that were in the beginning, Michael's friends and teammates, were created entirely by me. I didn't want some foreign guy showing up and making friends with everyone, especially the main characters of Fate; the story requires some suspension of disbelief as it is. Michael's somewhat shy, and has only made friends and acquaintances with those he interacts with daily, mainly those on the teams and clubs he takes part in._

_These characters won't just disappear; they will reappear from time to time throughout the rest of Fate/Creed, and they might receive some character development as well. Their main purpose is obviously comedy, so when they do appear, it will likely be to lighten the mood, be it the characters' or the overall story atmosphere, similar to Taiga's role in both F/SN and her Dojo in the VN._

_Secondly, Assassin himself. This will impact the overall storyline of Fate in a meaningful way; feel free to speculate why and how! Thirdly, Michael was able to summon Assassin through two means: 1. Assassin's overall prana usage and costs are much lower than someone like Berserker's; this is what allowed Michael to keep Assassin in the world without much help from the Grail. The other reason is that this version of the Fate world is slightly different than the one we're familiar with. It includes all the events of the AC universe as well, which is why Assassin is able to be summoned as a Heroic Spirit._

_As a Servant, he's much different than other Assassins. Whereas they're largely faceless beings, Ezio was semi-renowned for who he was, especially in Florence, allowing him to be summoned as himself, rather than a faceless entity. Due to the way he was, he's also able to be summoned under the Saber or Archer classes, though these classes obviously are inferior to his Assassin class capabilities._

_Compared to other Servants, he's weaker in head-on combat, but through clever use of tactics and his abilities, he's able to fight toe-to-toe with Heroic Spirits through his unorthodox fighting style, much like the Archer of F/SN (whom fights by use of the use of the personal skill Eye of the Mind (False), essentially built up combat experience, allowing him to counter stronger spirits like Saber or Lancer)._

_Here are his parameters, equipment, skills, etc:_

Equipment: Throwing knives, daggers, sword (Altair's from AC2), hidden blades (poison blade, gun, hookblade). Poison darts, smoke bombs, bombs, crossbow, parachutes.

Parameters:  
Strength: B  
Endurance:B  
Agility: A  
Magical Power: C++  
Luck: A  
Noble Phantasm: B

Class Skills:  
Presence Concealment: A+  
Independent Action: B-

Personal Skills:  
Battle Continuation: A  
Clairvoyance: C  
Disengage: C  
Eye of the Mind (True): B  
Presence Detection: A  
Projectile (Daggers): B  
Free running (Parkour): A+

_Assassin has four Noble Phantasms: Altair's Armor, the special unlockable set from Assassin's Creed 2; Eagle Sense, the upgraded form of Eagle Vision from using the E. Vision for years; the hidden blades, the versatile and iconic weapons of the Assassins; and the Apple of Eden, a mysterious artifact from the First Civilization._

_The Armor behaves much as it did in the game. It's an indestructible armor set that protects Ezio from harm, though only in areas the metal covers; places like his arms or parts of his leg are still prone to injury, though the robes are strengthened as well and provide some protection. They're an unclassified, C ranked ultimate defense Noble Phantasm that is similar in a sense to Archer's and Shirou's Rho Aias. It has no prana cost and is a passive one, so it's abilities are active so long as Assassin is wearing his battle garb._

_Eagle Sense is a Noble Phantasm that is perhaps the most useful Ezio has. It also behaves much like in the game, manifesting as a glow around people and objects that only Ezio can see. It can tell Ezio almost anything about the person or object in question; strengths, weaknesses, techniques, etc. It heightens Ezios senses, and he can track a target through the path they've taken, or even the one they will take. He can use it to pick up cold trails, or identify disguised enemies, though he has to concentrate harder for the latter function. It effectively makes Assassin an even better "magus hunter" than he would be already. It's an unclassified, B ranked Noble Phantasm. It's prana cost is very low, allowing Assassin to make extensive use of it._

_The hidden blades are his two main weapons. They are the iconic weapons of all Assassins in the brotherhood, and have many uses, ranging from poison application, to the performance of assassination techniques, to the freerunning and combat enhancing hookblade attachment. They're a Anti-Unit, B+++ ranked Noble Phantasm. Through the combination of the Assassin class skill, Presence Concealment, and his hidden blades, Assassin can get a boost to the first attack used from Presence Concealment should he attack with the hidden blades (thus, the B+++ rank)._

_The Apple of Eden is, without a doubt, the most powerful Noble Phantasm in Assassin's arsenal, and indeed, perhaps the entire Holy Grail War. The Apple has many uses, such as creating illusions of one's self, mind control, even outright killing of lesser enemies. As well, it contains knowledge from many eras and millennia, most prominently the mysterious First Civilization, which Assassin can use to create or manipulate items or people. The prana cost is low if Assassin accesses it for the knowledge contained therein, or very, very high should he use it for combat purposes. It's a powerful, Anti-Mind, A+ ranked Noble Phantasm, and is the cause of his C++ ranked Magical Power (he only gets a boost when using the Apple)._

_As an Assassin, his prana usage is generally lower than that compared to other Servants, especially powerful ones like Berserker or Saber. Here are the stats for his prana consumption and usage:_

Prana Usage:  
Amount regained per day: 10 units  
Amount needed to maintain physical body: 8 units  
Amount needed to maintain spiritual form: 4 units

Presence Concealment: 10 units  
Eagle Sense: 25 units  
Apple of Eden: 250 units

_His facial features are the same as in the latter half of AC2, with his beard. He bears the scar over his lip, etc, and his voice is the same (imagine it!). He is the same character as in the series, the playful man who enjoys his life, but is deadly serious when it's time to get down to business. When he isn't in his Assassin robes or spiritual form, he wears modern clothes that resemble his noble appearance at the beginning of AC2, with a white dress shirt (top buttons undone, of course), a leather vest, white pants, and leather boots._

_Michael's capabilities make him a suitable match for Assassin. Michael has slightly higher than average capabilities as a magus, allowing him to perform superbly in battle. This is counteracted by the fact that he has little magus training other than what he has remembered from watching and reading the Fate material from his own world, and his extensive studies on his own in this one. He is proficient in 3 Elements; Wind, Fire, and Earth. He primarily focuses on Wind Magecraft, with a mix of Fire and Earth to support it. As well, he is able to use Reinforcement Magecraft to amplify his physical abilities to make up for his lack of training._

_After his training with Assassin, Michael is stronger than before, and is more physically capable in battle. His fighting style, jeet kun do, is a real fighting style created by Bruce Lee. It's a reactionary fighting style using fists, legs, hands, and grapples, and fits perfectly with the hidden blades. Due to the fact that he can't carry daggers and a sword with him everywhere, he has chosen to focus solely on the perfection of his hidden blade usage in combination with his jeet kun do, as he can take the hidden blades with him everywhere._

_Michael is about 6'3" or 6'4", with a roughly thin, lanky appearance. Despite this, he has a toned, athletic body, which is contrary to the first impression he gives off. He tries to maintain a clean shaven appearance, though it doesn't always work out. He frequently appears tired, due to the combination of training, studying, and staying up late pursuing hobbies such as video games and watching anime (much like most of us, an in the cast of Carnival Phantasm, Caster, he is an otaku), and is heavily addicted to fantasy games such as World of Warcraft, the Final Fantasy series, the Elder Scrolls, and the like._

_Michael has two "sets" of equipment. When he is out in public, such as school, or the market, he wears a white or black t-shirt under a white or black hoodie, with the sleeves pulled up or left down depending on the weather. He wears black jeans, and either white or black shoes. His combat set of equipment is much like Ezio's appearance from Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, though it differs in protections and color. It's primarily black with white, with the metal being of the same material as Assassin's own, though not quite as strong. The robes are reinforced as well._

_Michael's hidden blades are worn in both sets. Both the right and left contain the regular blades for combat and assassination. The left one also contains a poison blade and a dart launcher that is able to fire regular or poison darts. The right blade also contains a hookblade that folds in on itself when not in use, allowing Michael to disguise both bracers as merely ornamental clothing to pass undetected._

_Michael's magic circuits and abilities in that regard were discussed in the last AN section. However, due to the year and a half that has passed since the prologue, he has gained much knowledge in use of that Magecraft. He isn't much of a magus, especially when compared to the likes of Rin Tohsaka, but he is capable enough to use his Magecraft in conjunction with his Assassin training For deadly effect in combat._

_He is able to use Reinforcement to make himself both faster and stronger, making himself a better freerunner or combatant. His Wind magecraft can be used to make normally impossible leaps, or his Earth magecraft for large falls. As well, he can summon walls of fire or earth for protection, or use the Wind to cloak himself from view (Assassin can hide him using Presence Concealment as well). Due to his love of fantasy RPG games, he has created a fireball spell for use in combat, as well as his most powerful spell: by using the maximum amount of prana he can, as well as a lengthy incantation ritual, he can summon a Wind storm equal in power to an EF5 tornado. Through added incarnations or the help of another magus, this storm can then transform into a sandstorm, firestorm, or hurricane. Due to it's massive prana cost and the length of the incantation (about 10 lines, meaning it'd be about a minute to cast, give or take), it's not used often, will cause Assassin to either not use the full effects of the Apple (or choose to shoulder the prana cost on his own, like Rider during Fate/Zero), __and will cause him to be unconscious after the spell has been channeled. The storm will rage on afterwards. It is the culmination of his efforts at studying magecraft._

_Both of them get along very well, and both abide by the Creed. Their existence has already impacted the Holy Grail War as you know it, and I hope you'll like the surprises I have in store for you._

_When I get the time, I will design both the interior of Michael's household, as well as Michael's 2 designs themselves, along with the appearance of his command for that map I've promised. The drawings will be done as soon as I get some more free time on my hands, and will likely end up on someplace like DeviantArt, Twitter, or someplace else._

_Anyways, the next chapter will be completed sometime in the next two weeks, so keep an eye out! Our two protagonists will finally meet the rest of our cast, the Holy Grail War will start spectacularly! Remember: Everything is true, nothing is permitted!_


	3. Chapter 2 - And So It Begins

_"O war! Thou son of hell,_  
_Whom angry heavens do make their minister,_  
_Throw in the frozen bosoms of our part_  
_Hot coals of vengeance! Let no soldier fly._  
_He that is truly dedicate to war_  
_Hath no self-love, nor he that loves himself,_  
_Hath not essentially but by circumstance_  
_The name of valour."_  
_William Shakespeare, Henry IV, Part II, Act V, scene 2, line 33._

* * *

_Friday, January 30th_

It had been more than a month since Michael had become a fully ranked Assassin. February began at the end of this weekend; the Holy Grail War was set to begin.

Assassin was hopeful and optimistic. Michael was as well, albeit less so. He was awfully nervous. Unlike when he'd played the visual novel, there'd be no second chances, no Mulligans or do-overs. If he made a mistake, he could very well lose his life. He had to be on his toes from now on.

Michael and Assassin had continued stocking up on supplies. Assassin really needed nothing (though he had come to enjoy Michael's cooking); his supplies were constantly regenerated over time, so he never really had to worry about running out of them. Michael, however, had set limits for everything he could carry. He envied Assassin in this respect.

On the Friday before February, Michael kept an eye on both Shinji and Tohsaka. Neither seemed on edge, so he assumed neither had summoned their Servant yet (or in the case of Shinji, obtained his command spells from Sakura). Still, they might've been acting to conceal themselves... Michael was wary.

Shirou, on the other hand, was completely oblivious. Michael loved watching horror movies, if only to laugh at the overt stupidity of the characters in the movie. He hadn't realized how right Tohsaka and Saber had been about Shirou. It'd be so easy for him to die; obviously, Avalon would prevent that, so long as Saber was nearby, but it was beginning to actually hurt him how Shirou acted. He resolved to ignore it; nothing would be likely to change Shirou.

Michael stayed after school most days, preparing and watching for the beginning of the War. Thanks to Assassin's skill, Presence Concealment, both of them were able to stay hidden from the view of almost anyone who would happen to be nearby.

Assassin seemed not to care, but Michael grew more and more uneasy as time went on. There was a foreboding sense growing in the air. He could feel it.

This routine carried on for almost 2 weeks before anything happened.

Shirou had stayed behind on multiple days as favors to help various people. It wasn't until nearly the 6th time that the incident Michael had been waiting for, Shirou first helping Issei fix the Student Council's television, then Shinji leaving Shirou to clean the archery dojo while he left with his harem, occurred.

Michael and Assassin sat in the rafters, concealed from the oblivious Shirou fanatically cleaning the floor below. Michael hadn't brought his robes with him, opting for the all-black outfit he'd brought to school that day (he had lugged his gear back and forth the first few days, but eventually decided against it; it was heavy and too risky). Assassin was cloaked in his battle garb already. Using the hand language system Assassin had taught Michael, they conversed silently to avoid detection. It wasn't perfect, but they were able to get their general intentions across.

_"Is this guy for real?"_ Assassin's hands asked.

_"Unfortunately, yeah, I guess so," _Michael flashed back.

_"We're seriously going to have an alliance with this kid?"_

_"Well, Saber is awesome, if a bit stubborn, and she is one of the most powerful Servants who'll be in this War. Aside from that, Rin and Archer will be valuable allies. We'd be stupid to not ally ourselves with them, especially given everything else."_

Their hands moved rapidly back and forth for the next few minutes. It was nighttime when all three heard yelling from outside. The clash of steel rang out. Shirou stood and wondered aloud to himself what the noise was, and both Assassins went on edge.

A few minutes later, Shirou gotten his things and left, and the two Assassins made their own way out. They kept to the shadows, Michael keeping an eye on Shirou and Assassin seeking the two combatants that'd be there.

He spotted them not long after they left. The two moved around the perimeter of the athletic fields. Shirou moved over to the fences, staring at the confrontation.

Not far away, two men leaped about, slashing at the other with their weapons. One carried a long, red spear, and was clad in a dark blue bodysuit. The other brandished two swords, and wore a set of black body armor with a red overcoat and skirt.

In the midst of the clash of steel, the spear wielder asked, "What Heroic Spirit are you? I've never heard of an Archer who uses twin swords!" Ignoring the question, the swordsman replied, "It's easy to tell who you are! There's only one Lancer of your caliber in all the world!" They charged at each other again.

Shirou made a startled sound. Both combatants turned towards the source of the noise. Lancer yelling, "Who's there?" They broke off, Archer moving back to protect a figure in the back, Lancer chasing after Shirou, who had fled.

Both could hear Rin voice her concerns. She was evidently distressed that someone was about to die.

_"Should we go after Shirou?"_ Assassin's hands flashed the question.

_"Nah, he'll be fine," _Michael's hands replied. _"I'm not sure how perceptive either Servant will be. Let's stay a bit of a ways behind Tohsaka and Archer and observe for now."_

Assassin nodded his consent. The two robed figures crouched in the shadows, trailing the girl and her Servant silently.

* * *

Within a few minutes, Shirou had been nearly killed by Lancer, Shirou running into the school and Lancer chasing after him. The assassins didn't see the actual confrontation; they'd been trailing some distance behind Archer and Rin. All four ran, Assassin and Michael far more quietly, through the halls. Archer and Rin stopped up ahead, where Michael assumed they'd found Shirou. Archer took off, heading after Lancer as per Rin's orders.

Rin had healed Shirou next, leaving behind her pendant, just as Michael had expected. Afterwards, she ran, taking off in the opposite direction from the two Assassins.

They decided to stop following Rin at that point, who was heading home, and followed Shirou. Lancer would be focused on the young man; he wouldn't be wary and keeping an eye on the shadows, so it'd be easier to be concealed following those two, rather than having to worry about Archer.

Only Caster-class Servants could detect far off enemies, but Michael didn't want to take any chances of being detected before he meant to be.

Shirou made it home after a few minutes of running, fine except for the fact that he was covered in his own blood. They didn't follow him inside the house, instead opting to perch on the roof of a building near the shed, to avoid the alarm barrier around Shirou's property. They could observe safely from here, safe from being noticed.

It would be a while longer before Lancer appeared. They kept a look out and talked using their hands, chatting for a while longer. Assassin was very intrigued by both Archer and Lancer. Michael hadn't told him anything about most of the Servants, so Assassin didn't have much information aside from what he'd seen himself.

Lancer arrived later, appearing and trying to kill Shirou once again. Sounds were heard from inside the house. A few minutes after, Shirou appeared, having jumped out of a window to avoid a thrown spear.

_"This is getting interesting,"_ Assassin noted.

_"It's about to get a hell of a lot more interesting, my friend,"_ Michael replied.

Shirou bravely attempted to fight off Lancer with a Reinforced sheet of metal. Assassin chuckled a laugh when he saw this; _"Stubborn one, isn't he?"_ his hands flashed. Michael chuckled softly in response. He ran towards the shed, and Lancer moved swiftly, kicking him in the side and launching him forwards. Shirou stubbornly stood, blocking Lancer's half-hearted strikes, finally being kicked through the doors, blasting them off.

Lancer stopped playing around and appeared to ready the killing strike. They conversed, Shirou's expression being both angry and confused by Lancer's words. The Assassins stayed outside, observing silently, and lights from the magical power began flashing within. Michael heard a faint voice expressing surprise; it seemed Rin and Archer had arrived as well.

A woman, short in stature, but with tremendous power, appeared, and fought Lancer off. Assassin was a bit startled by this; _"You never mentioned Saber would be a woman, or that short."_

Michael smiled. _"You never asked."_

Saber forced Lancer to retreat from the shed, then turned towards Shirou. They conversed, and Shirou was a bit awestruck. His reaction was, again, understandable. Saber was a odd figure, for one, and a beautiful woman as well.

Afterwards, she turned and began to fight Lancer once more. Shirou chased after her, yelling for her to wait. The two warriors clashed again and again, steel ringing out. Their blows were powerful; one clash in mid-air was felt by Michael, and he was a few hundred meters away from the scene.

_"An invisible sword. Interesting,"_ Assassin commented.

During a brief interlude in the combat, Lancer, clearly irritated, asked, "What's the meaning of this, you coward? How dare you keep your weapon hidden?!" The question wasn't graced with a reply; if anything, it only angered Saber. They clashed a few more times before another short pause ensued.

She taunted him, "What's the matter, Lancer? Stopping mid-fight will disgrace spearmen everywhere." She raised her invisible sword and narrowed her eyes. "If you won't come to me, then I shall come to you."

Lancer grinned. "Let me ask you one thing first: what's your Noble Phantasm? A sword?"

Saber smiled as well. "Perhaps. Perhaps not. It might be an axe. Or a spear. No, it might even be a bow."

Lancer chuckled a bit at that. "Get real, Saber..." He took a step back and grasped the spear differently than he had been before. "This is our first encounter. I say we stop now. Call it a draw?" His spear began to emit mist, wafts curling from the head.

Saber was more angered by this question, something Lancer evidently wanted. "I think not. You will meet your end here."

"My objective here was to gather information. I never planned to hang around until if anyone's Servant showed up." Lancer grinned. His spear began glowing, a bright scarlet light coming forth. With a burst, the tip of the spear poured more mist, a whistling sound as well. Saber prepared herself for whatever Lancer was up to.

Shouting, "But now, I'll have your heart!" Lancer leaped, pointing the spear and stabbing down at Saber. She dodged to the side, and Lancer landed. He turned halfway, twirling the spear as he did so, yelling, "Gáe Bolg!"

The tip of the spear emitted a brighter red light, and seemed to extend rather than be stabbed toward the warrior. With a clash and a flash of light, it struck Saber in the chest. Lancer grinned, sensing victory. Saber was shocked, and Shirou gasped.

The deed done, Saber fell to one knee, clutching at her wound. "A curse? No... Was that a cause-effect reversal?"

Impressed, Lancer said, "So, you dodged the death blow of my Gáe Bolg..."

Saber was shocked at the name. "Gáe Bolg? Are you then Ireland's Son of Light?" She muttered the effects of the spear's abilities, then asked, "That is the cursed spear wielded by the Hound of Culann..."

"Damn it. I always put myself at risk using that. If the person survives... I swear, I hate being too famous sometimes." He shrugged, then turned to depart. "Servants are supposed to fight to the death if their true identity is discovered, but unfortunately... My Master is a coward. I am to return to him if my attack failed."

Angered, Saber yelled, "You're running away!?" Lancer replied, "Feel free to follow me. But if you do, you'd better be ready to die!" He took off into the night.

Saber ran after for a few steps, then stopped, Shirou went after her. She turned towards him, still holding the wound on her chest. They talked, but it was too low for Michael to hear by that point, though he remembered the general conversation.

Shirou appeared more confused then ever, and Saber's face was a mask. His face grew more confused the more Saber talked. Shirou suddenly grasped his arm, his face contorting in pain, and Saber turned to face where Michael guessed Tohsaka and Archer were. They exchanged a few more words, then she leapt into the air. Shirou went after her.

Michael spoke for the first time. "Go! Stop her from killing or injuring them!"

Assassin broke away, leaping between the buildings. He jumped out off the wall, drawing his eagle-hilt sword as he did.

Michael sprinted off on his own, keeping to the shadows and making his way towards Tohsaka. Michael reached Tohsaka at about the same time that Assassin leaped off the roof.

Saber and Archer exchanged blows. It was fierce, more so than her battle with Lancer had been.

"Archer! Disa-" She began to yell a command spell. Michael cut her off, approaching from behind.

"That won't be necessary, Tohsaka Rin," Michael calmly stated. He had apparently caught her off-guard; she jumped slightly and turned, raising an arm to strike him. He caught it.

At nearly the same moment, Saber went in for the killing blow. Her sword met resistance, however, as Assassin parried the blow meant for Archer, saying, "_Merda_, you're strong, m'lady! You've only just met, and you're already trying to kill him?"

Shirou caught up, exclaiming, "Stop it, Saber!"

Saber turned to Shirou, surprise evident on her face. "We have not one, but two Servants here, as well as their masters! We must kill them while we have the chance!"

Shirou's voice was raised, angry and confused. "You keep going on about Masters, Servants, and whatever, but I don't understand any of it at all! I still don't know who or what you are, but if you explain it to me, I'll hear you out, so stop this!"

"And what might 'this' be?" Saber asked calmly. Shirou was surprised by her reaction. "I will not obey these commands. Enemies are to be slain!"

"Women shouldn't be waving weapons around trying to kill people! That goes double for wounded ones!" Saber was a bit more surprised by that comment.

Meanwhile, Tohsaka had begun arguing with Michael. "Who are you!?" Visibly composing herself, she said, "If you're a Master, why didn't you kill me? You clearly had the chance to." She crossed her arms.

Michael shrugged, pulling his hood down as he did so. "I'd rather not see you or Shirou die. Figured it'd be better if I stopped you from wasting a command spell. With my Servant right there, there was no need for you to use it."

Tohsaka thought about that for a moment. Her eyes widened a bit when he removed his hood; she recognized him, and he was glad for that. She didn't reply though, just stood there, her arms crossed, glaring at him. Michael shrugged again and looked towards the servants.

Saber stood in front of Shirou, arguing with him, sword raised. Archer had his swords out, also at the ready. Assassin had his sword and dagger out, though he hadn't assumed a combat stance; Michael had explained his plan, and he trusted Michael to pull through.

Michael looked at Tohsaka. "He obviously has no clue what's going on. Would you like to explain, or shall I?"

She made a "Hmph" sound (Michael thought he heard her say something like, "I'll deal with you later," but he wasn't sure), then turned toward Shirou and Saber.

"So, are you going to lower your sword?" Tohsaka asked. Saber narrowed her eyes.

"My sword will never be lowered when there is an enemy standing before me." Archer grunted his agreement. Assassin yawned, leaning against the wall.

Tohsaka smiled. "So a Servant, a Saber at that, is saying she'll disobey her Master?" Archer turned to look at Tohsaka questioningly. Archer lowered his swords and stood upright, Saber doing likewise, noting Archer's reaction.

Tohsaka stepped towards Shirou. Michael stood where he was, arms crossed. Shirou's breath caught as he recognized both of them. "Hey, you're... Tohsaka? Michael?"

She smiled. "Good evening, Emiya." Michael nodded his greetings.

"What're you guys doing here?" Shirou asked.

Michael spoke. "We'll explain more later. I say we have everyone calm down a little more first." He pointedly looked at the three Servants as he said it, all of whom still had their weapons drawn.

Tohsaka looked at Archer and nodded. He frowned, but his blades disappeared. Assassin sheathed both of his, but Saber stood there, her weapon still grasped in both hands.

Ignoring her, Tohsaka walked forward to talk with Shirou. "Let's clean things up a bit, then we'll talk, okay?"

* * *

Archer and Assassin both went into their ethereal forms. Saber evidently could not.

The four of them walked onto Shirou's property, and Tohsaka headed towards the broken window. She picked up a piece of glass and the window was repaired in second. Michael set both of the shed's doors back on their hinges properly. Shirou gasped at both of these displays of magecraft.

"Well, I expect that you're at least capable of that, Emiya."

"That's amazing! I can't do anything like that!"

Michael feigned surprise. Tohsaka's disbelief was clearly shown. "Are you kidding? That's the basics of the basics, no matter what you study."

Shirou looked a bit sheepish at that. "I was only taught by my dad, so I don't know the fundamentals or the basics."

Tohsaka frowned at this. "So you don't know how to manipulate the five elements or create a path?" Shirou confirmed it. "So you're a complete novice?"

Shirou spread his arms in a sort of placating gesture. "Well, I can do reinforcement spells."

"That's some strange magic you use... So you can't do anything else at all?" Again, Shirou apologized.

She crossed her arms. "How could a guy like you manage to summon a Saber?" Tohsaka muttered. "I'm guessing you have no idea what kind of mess you're in, do you?"

"Mess?" Shirou asked.

Tohsaka frowned, her voice soft and pitying. "You've been dragged into a War, a battle royale between seven Masters called the Holy Grail Wars."

Shirou looked confused. "Holy Grail Wars? Battle royale?" He sounded a bit apprehensive at the last sentence.

Tohsaka raised her hand. "You've been selected as a Master, Emiya. You have a stigma on one of your hands, right? Those are your Command Seals. They mark you as a Master."

Shirou raised his left hand to stare at it. Michael broke in. "Every few decades, seven Masters are chosen. Each Master summons a Servant, and together, battles to win the Holy Grail are fought." He raised his left hand, showing Shirou the back of it. "I was chosen to be a Master. I imagine Tohsaka has as well."

Tohsaka nodded, and continued. "As long as you have your Command Seals, your Servant will continue to obey you. They give you the right of absolute authority over them. The Seals are what bends them to your will... Even if it's something that goes against the Servant's desires."

"But remember," Michael said. He held up his hand, three fingers extended. "You lose a Seal every time you make a command, so make sure you don't use more than 2." Tohsaka nodded her agreement.

Shirou was more confused the more they spoke. "Hey, hang on! What are you two talking about!?"

Tohsaka ignored him and walked over to Saber. Saber gave her a wary look. "It looks like you're still incomplete too. It must be because you've been summoned by an apprentice magus who has no idea what's expected of him as a Master."

Saber nodded the affirmative. "Yes. Shirou doesn't have enough magical power to materialize me. This makes both returning to my spirit form and recovering magical force problematic."

Tohsaka closed her eyes and sighed. "If I were your Master, it'd be simple for you to do either..."

"What, are you saying I'm not fit to be her Master?" Shirou asked.

Tohsaka have him a look. "That's exactly what I'm saying, you idiot!" Shirou looked taken aback by the comment. She continued. "Well, let's get going then."

"Go? Go where?" Shirou asked.

"To see the person who oversees this battle," she replied, walking out the door.

* * *

The group made it's way across town to the Church. The three made light conversation, mostly walking in silence. Saber walked behind, not saying a word.

Michael eyed the overcoat Shirou had given to Saber. "Dude, you're going to make her wear that? That's so not cool, man." Tohsaka stifled a laugh.

Shirou frowned. "Don't look at me! She's the one who refused to take off her armor." The four of them walked across town in the moonlight, crossing over the main bridge.

As they walked up the hill, Shirou asked, "The 'overseer' lives here?"

Tohsaka nodded. "The Kotomine Church."

Michael stayed outside, along with Saber; Saber had voiced her intentions of not going inside, and Michael had never liked Kotomine. After a few minutes, raised voices being heard, Tohsaka came out, obviously flustered, and Shirou being bothered as well.

_"What was that all about?"_ Assassin asked, nearby in his ethereal form.

Michael replied quietly, hoping no one would hear him. "I'd tell you, but it'd spoil things." Assassin glared at him. "Don't blame me, you're the one who wanted to be kept in the dark, remember?" Michael laughed a bit. Saber glanced at him. Michael was unnerved; her eyes were shooting daggers at him.

_"She's a foot shorter than me, and I'm terrified of getting on her bad side,"_ he thought. _"If I were reading a story like this, I'd be laughing hysterically."_

The group began making their way back to the other side of town. Shirou was quiet, as were Michael and Tohsaka. The three stopped at an intersection, about to part ways.

"Well, I've fulfilled my obligation to you, Shirou," Tohsaka said.

"You're a good person, both of you," he replied. Michael nodded.

Tohsaka smiled. "Flattery won't make me go easy on you."

Saber suddenly turned around, yelling, "Shirou!"; the moment Michael had been dreading had arrived.

Up ahead, two figures stood in the middle of the misty street. One was short, about the height of a middle school girl. She was giggling, a horrifying sound to Michael. The other was a towering monstrosity, thickly muscled and brandishing a gigantic axe-sword. If Saber has unnerved Michael, Berserker made him shake in his boots.

"Good evening, mister. This is the second time we've met, isn't it?" the girl said.

Tohsaka grimaced. "This is bad. That Servant is way too strong for us!"

Ilyasviel curtsied. "How do you do, Rin. I'm Ilya. Ilyasviel von Einzbern. I assume you've heard of me?" Tohsaka perked up a bit at that, muttering the name questioningly.

Ilyasviel went on, smiling. "I suppose there's no point in any introductions. After all, you'll all soon be dead anyway."

The way she said it, so nonchalantly, set Michael's nerves on edge. Shirou gasped.

Saber immediately went on edge. Archer came into view, a bow appearing in his hands. Assassin materialized as well and disappeared into the shadows. Tohsaka glared at Michael, "Thanks for the help." Her voice sounded murderous. Michael shrugged unapologetically. "He's an Assassin, what do you want _me_ to do?"

Ilya giggled. "Okay, I'm going to kill you now! Go get them, Berserker!"

The figure behind her launched into motion. He roared, a low growl escaping his throat. Saber threw herself forward in response, sword at the ready. Archer began drawing and firing arrows, providing cover fire. They didn't seem to effect Berserker.

Saber charged forth, blocked one of Berserker's wild swings. She dodged back and forth, trying to get a hit in. Archer continued firing arrows; if anything, he seemed to be having less of an effect than Saber was.

Shirou yelled Saber's name. Tohsaka was in disbelief. "He's swinging around that enormous sword like it's a toy!"

Berserker and Saber clashed again, Saber ultimately being pushed back. Berserker immediately launched himself forwards again; there was no technique or finesse in his movements, not that he needed any. This was a pure, brutal assault.

"We need to find some weakness of his. Tohsaka, do you have any ideas in mind?" Michael asked.

"No, I'm not if we _can _do anything against a Servant like that!" Her voice was shaking.

Ilyasviel laughed. "Rin's right. There isn't. My Servant is the most powerful of them all! He's Heracles!"

Berserker and Saber locked weapons again, Saber losing the conflict and being thrown back, past the three Masters. Archer appeared, grabbed Tohsaka by the waist, and carried her off. Michael tackled Shirou to the side, narrowing being missed by Berserker's mad charge at Saber.

Shirou got to his feet and attempted to run towards Saber. Michael grabbed him by the arm. "Yeah, I wouldn't do that. Do you want to get killed?" Shirou pulled out of his grip and yelled her name again.

As Berserker passed under a tree, a figure detached itself from the shadows and leapt down at him. Dark red-black light, the color of blood, flashed, illuminating the area briefly.

When the combatants and Masters looked, Assassin was perched on Berserker's shoulders, his hidden blades lodged in either side of Berserker's neck. Berserker roared. It had seemed to have no effect, but Ilyasviel gasped.

"You... You took one of his lives?" Her face became a visage of rage and anger. She screamed, "BERSERKER! Kill them!"

Berserker howled again. Assassin attempted to steady himself, but fell over due to Berserker's wild movements. Before anyone could react, Berserker had turned quickly and smashed Assassin in the chest with his axe-sword. Assassin went flying away into the graveyard. Michael cursed.

Meanwhile, Archer had continued firing arrows at Berserker. Saber had charged again, and seemed to be leading him into the graveyard. Her tactics were incredible to Michael, though Shirou was freaking out. She stayed one step ahead, nimbly making her way through the grave markers and attacking Berserker when she could. Due to his large size, Berserker had to smash through the gravestones before he could reach Saber - giving her a small advantage.

Tohsaka had made her way down to stand near Michael and Shirou, and the three of them made their way into the graveyard as well. Just then, Tohsaka stiffened, muttering "What?"

Berserker, meanwhile, had caught up to Saber and finally got a hit in. Saber went flying, smashing through several gravestones and coming to a rest against a pillar. She tried to get up, managing to take a knee and lean on her sword. Blood flowed from a wound in her head, and others elsewhere. Berserker stalked towards her, the kill at hand.

"Saber! No!" Shirou screamed as Berserker raised his axe-sword. The weapon came down - and smashed into Shirou's side as he pushed Saber out of the way.

Shocked expressions and exclamations came from all those in the vicinity. Shirou collapsed, blood gushing out of the wound in his side.

Ilya frowned, waving a hand. "This is boring. Time to g-" She was interrupted as a whistling sound came forth, rushing from the south. Berserker grunted, then leaped away.

Realizing what it was, Michael yelled, "Saber! Protect Shirou!" then tackled Tohsaka to the ground, covering her. With a cry of "Chikyū no Kabe!" a mound of earth, similar to an igloo, covered them and hardened. Michael heard a muffled explosion some yards away. When he let go of his control, the earth fell away., revealing the devastation.

An immense explosion had showered the area with earth, stone, and flames. Michael stood up, pulling Tohsaka to her feet as well. She glared at him and mumbled something resembling a thank you. A few feet away, Saber staggered to her feet as well, before collapsing. Shirou lay in a pool of blood at her feet, a massive wound in his side. Assassin was still nowhere to be found.

Ilyasviel made an annoyed sound. "This is boring. Come on Berserker. We're going home." Berserker grunted and lifted her to his shoulder, and walked off into the flames. She looked back as they departed. "Just so we're clear: next time we meet, I'm going to kill you."

Michael and Tohsaka shared a look. "What the hell was that?" Michael yelled.

"I don't know," she said. They looked around. The graveyard was utterly decimated. Shirou and Saber were both unconscious. Archer appeared, striding towards them out of the flames. Tohsaka began yelling at him.

Michael began searching for Assassin. He found him on the other side of the graveyard, still stunned and unconscious from Berserker's blow. His armor had protected him, luckily, though he'd be out of commission for a while, one or two days at the very least. Michael woke him, and dismissed him into his ethereal form, after casting some healing spells. He'd heal faster that way.

Michael made his way back to the others. He looked at Archer and Tohsaka. Archer was standing a few feet away, while Tohsaka was kneeling besides Shirou and Saber.

Saber hadn't let Tohsaka touch Shirou at all. Tohsaka was currently arguing with her. Michael broke into the argument. "Saber, if Tohsaka or I had wanted Shirou dead, trust me, we would've done so by now. For his sake, let her heal him before he bleeds out."

He looked closer at her as well. "In fact, you could probably use some healing yourself. That wound from Lancer's Gáe Bolg probably isn't healed fully, and those other wounds don't look so good either."

She refused to let either of them tend to her, but reluctantly let them heal Shirou. Afterwards, Michael and Tohsaka discussed where to go from there. Michael's house was closest, but Saber refused to go anywhere other than Shirou's own home.

Archer hadn't liked the idea of help. "We should just leave, Rin. The more who die, the less we have to fight."

Michael had laughed at that. "My, you're an idiot. Three Servants fighting together, and you all barely survived." He narrowed his eyes. "I'm guessing you either have a trick up your barely ruffled sleeves, else you wouldn't be so confident you could solo that monster."

Archer had ignored him. Tohsaka had angrily hit both of them, then begun walking towards Shirou's home, supporting Saber. Michael carried Shirou.

* * *

Shirou woke up the next morning. Gasping for air, he sat upright, then grimaced in pain and clutched his side. He pulled back the covers, then yelped in surprise; his entire torso was covered in bandages.

He stood, pain arcing up his spine. He grabbed a shirt and went through his morning routine. When he washed out his mouth, he spied something disturbing "What's this blood?"

A few minutes later, he walked to the main room of the house, wondering, "What happened last night?" He opened the door, then jumped in surprise.

Michael and Tohsaka were there, Michael washing some dishes and Tohsaka sitting at the table, drinking tea. Tohsaka was the first to speak.

"Good morning, Emiya. We let ourselves in."

Shirou struggled for words. "Wha... What are you two doing here?"

Tohsaka continued. "You know, you don't have any decent tea in this place. If you're going to use tea bags, at least keep the triangular kind on hand."

Michael turned around, finished. He dried his hands off, then buckled on the strange bracers he always wore. He chuckled when he heard Tohsaka, then poured himself some tea, sitting down at the head of the table.

"Jeez Tohsaka. The poor guys almost died last night, and your first words are about the quality of his tea?" She ignored him.

Shirou sat as well. "T-Tohsaka... Michael... What are you..." She interrupted him.

"Stop right there!" She closed her eyes and held a hand up. "Don't you think you should thank us first for carrying you home?" She smiled. Michael rolled his eyes.

"Carrying me home...?" Shirou thought about it for a moment, confusion plain on his face. He first lifted up his shirt, looking at the bandages, then scratched his head for a moment. Sudden realization overtook him. "I remember! That huge monster, he... How am I still alive?"

Tohsaka took a sip of tea, and Michael replied, "It was weird, you started healing on your own after." He shrugged.

"What do you mean, 'on my own'?" Shirou asked.

Michael looked at Tohsaka. She nodded. "From what we've seen, Saber seems to have a natural regeneration ability. It's possible you're tapping into that somehow." Shirou looked at his palms, and she continued, resting her cheek on her hand. "It's essentially impossible for a Servant to supply her Master with magical power..."

Michael chuckled, and finished the thought. "But then, you are an impossible Master."

Shirou looked hurt. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Tohsaka closed her eyes. "It's unheard of for a Master to try and save a Servant. And besides, if you die, Saber will disappear as well."

All three were quiet for a moment. Michael fiddled with a clasp on his bracer. Tohsaka idly dipped a tea bag in her cup, and Shirou stared down at his lap.

"Emiya, what do you plan to do now?" Tohsaka asked.

He seemed surprised by the question. "I'm not going to fight. I just don't want to see a repeat of what happened ten years ago. I'm not interested in this 'Holy Grail." Both Tohsaka and Michael looked at him.

Tohsaka sighed. "I knew you were going to say that. Look, Saber will kill you if she hears you talking like that."

"She will?" He sounded surprised.

Michael nodded. "What do you think the Servants answer our summons for? They have their own reasons to answer the summons and fight in these Wars. Whoever wins the Grail gets their wish granted. That includes Servants." He took a sip of tea. "It's not a free bargain for us. They want it as well."

"That's why Saber is doing this? Because she wants the Grail?" Shirou asked. He clutched his head in his hands, then growled and slammed his fists on the table. "But she's just as human as I am! Last night, she was bleeding too!"

Tohsaka shook her head. "Servants aren't alive. If they 'die,' they just go back to where they came from." Michael kept silent; he had his own views on the subject at hand.

Shirou grew more and more angry. "That doesn't make it okay for them to go around killing each other!"

Tohsaka raised her voice as well. "If you leave the other Masters to run around unchecked, innocent people are going to die!"

No response forthcoming, she continued, her voice softer. "Servants use magical power, prana, as fuel. The more they have, the more they can unleash the power they had when they were alive."

"What do you mean?" he asked?

She gave him a deadly serious look. "They're spiritual entities, so they gain sustenance from eating souls." Shirou gasped. "What I'm saying is some Masters will force their Servants to attack people and eat their souls to strengthen their power."

Shirou gasped. His brow furrowed, he said, "Wha...? Servants eat people!?

"No... You're wrong... Saber would never do that!"

Michael stood and refilled the teapot. He asked, "So what're you going to do? Sit back and watch, no matter what the other Masters do?"

"If they try something, I'll have to stop them."

Tohsaka said, "You won't defeat another Master on your own initiative, but you'll do something after they've already done something bad?" She smiled sadly. "You're contradicting yourself."

Michael sit down. "You can't have your cake and eat it too."

Shirou grimaced. "I know, but I can't think of any other way to do this."

Tohsaka sighed. "There's just one problem with that. Mind if I tell you?"

"Like what?"

She raised her cup to her mouth. "The Master from last night is definitely going to come kill us." She took a small sip, then said, "That little girl's Servant is in an entirely different league."

Michael broke in. "If we just sit here and wait... Well, I don't intend to die, I'll leave it at that." He took a sip of his own tea. "She said he's Heracles... Well, obviously, she's toying with us. She doesn't think we can defeat him."

Tohsaka nodded. "Letting your opponent know your hero's true identity exposes their vulnerabilities."

"Too bad Heracles has little to none..." Michael muttered.

"Hang on! I wonder what Saber's true identity is?" Shirou asked.

Tohsaka shook her head. "It's probably best for you to not know. You might be the type to reveal it to outsiders."

"'Outsiders'? You mean like you two?"

She looked at Michael. "I don't recall joining his family. Do you?" He shook his head. Shirou grimaced.

* * *

The three of them walked towards the main entrance. Both Tohsaka and Michael put on their shoes.

"You didn't need to see us out, Shirou," Michael said as he laced his shoes.

Shirou bowed. "I forgot to thank you both for what you did. You know, carrying me home. Thank you." Tohsaka smiled. Michael nodded.

Michael slid open the door and stepped through. Tohsaka followed. She turned back before she stepped all the way out.

"From now on, it'll be easier for you if you don't think of us as human beings." she said. With that, Michael slid the door shut and they both left Shirou's home.

They walked up the street. Michael looked at her out of the corner of his eye. She didn't seem to show any emotion. Like what happened last night hadn't happened at all.

They came to a crossing. Sakura crossed ahead, and smiled when she saw them. Tohsaka smiled as well.

"Good morning, Sakura!" Tohsaka greeted her. Michael nodded politely and greeted her as well.

Sakura smiled and returned the greeting. "Good morning. What are you two doing at this hour?"

Tohsaka laughed, and walked closer. "I go to sleep at night and get out of bed in the morning, just like everyone else."

"No, that's not what I meant..."

A look seemed to cross between the two. Michael, even at a few feet away, sensed the tension in the look. He intervened, putting an arm around Tohsaka's shoulders. "We're just out for a walk, and met each other along the way by circumstance, is all." He smiled.

Tohsaka smiled. "That's right! A walk!" She turned away. "Well, see you later!" She pulled Michael away by the arm, and they continued walking, away from Sakura. Michael waved a farewell.

After a few minutes, they made it out of sight. Michael cleared his throat to break the silence. "Ahem... You can let go of my arm now. We're out of her sight."

Tohsaka jumped, startled out of wherever she was. "Oh... Sorry."

"I actually should've turned back there to get to my own home, so I guess I'll be seeing you around." Michael turned to leave for his own home. Pain suddenly flashed in his eyes, coming from his ear.

"Oh no you don't! You're coming with me." Tohsaka had grabbed him by the ear, twisted it, and continued walking. "You have some explaining to do. I told you I'd deal with you later."

"Ow! Ow, ow, ow! What is this about, it hurts!" He wasn't joking; she had a death grip on his ear. "Jeez, do you know how much pressure it takes to rip an ear off?" He grabbed her arm at the wrist, intending to rid himself of her grip.

To his surprise, he found himself on the ground with her foot instead on his chest with the wind knocked out of him, much to Assassin's evident amusement. Michael heard small chuckling from off to his left.

_"Oh. Right. Forgot she knew martial arts,"_ he thought.

"Like I said, you're coming with me." She sounded adamant, like she wouldn't take "no" for an answer. No surprise. When Tohsaka wanted something, she usually got it.

"But -"

"No 'buts,' Williams," she waggled her finger at him. "You may have spared my life, but I want answers."

Admitting defeat, Michael nodded, closing his eyes. "Alright, but uh... You might not want to stand like that with a skirt on. It's a bit revealing." He felt his cheeks growing red.

"Don't look, you idiot!" She kicked him in the side.

"Ow, ow! Alright!" He stood and threw his hands in the air. "I guess I can expect to either not go to school today, or show up late, hmm?" She didn't answer him, just continued walking ahead of him.

* * *

They walked uphill, into the nice part of town. Michael looked around at all the buildings. He'd known she lived up here, but he'd never realized the neighborhood was this nice. It made his home seem really small and Poor in comparison.

After a long while of walking, they'd entered the grounds of her house. It was enormous, decorative, and looked somewhat antique. The only problem was the gigantic hole in a room on the top floor; Michael assumed that was where Archer had crashed When she'd summoned him.

He glanced around. "Beautiful place you've got here. Much bigger than my place." He knelt and examined some flowers.

Tohsaka didn't answer. She kept walking. Michael shrugged and followed. _"Awfully cheerful woman, isn't she, Assassin?"_

_"They usually are, my young friend," _Assassin shrugged, still in his ethereal form._ "Women are an odd species."_

They entered her home. The entryway was gigantic. A chandelier hung suspended from the ceiling above. She still hadn't said anything. They next walked into what appeared to be her living room.

Archer was already there, tending to a fire in the fireplace. A tea set was on the low table in the center of the room, between three seats. The place was remarkably European in style and appearance.

Archer wasn't wearing his battle attire, so Michael figured that was good. She probably didn't intend to fight him.

Probably.

Archer stood and turned around, staring at Michael. He wore black pants and shoes, as well as a black button-up shirt, which was unbuttoned at the top. _"Stylish,"_ Michael thought.

"I assume you're terribly angry with me." Michael bowed. "You've taken a risk, I guess, if you trust an assassin enough to invite him into your home." He smiled apologetically.

Neither said anything. Archer eyed him distrustingly. Tohsaka studied him, like a lioness sizing up her prey.

Sighing, Michael asked, "Do you mind?" No response forthcoming, he raised his right arm in a fist, the way Assassin summoned assassins for backup. Assassin materialized behind him, clad in the casual clothes he liked.

"_Cazzo, _Michael. You're going to give the poor girl a heart attack." Assassin smacked him on the back of the head.

"Jeez dude, you want to do this now? In front of them, really?" Michael sighed. "Yeah, well, I figured both would be more at ease if they could, y'know, see you." He crossed his arms. "You're an Assassin, after all. Not seeing you is probably unnerving."

Both looked at Tohsaka and Archer. Archer had his eyes closed, drinking some tea. He was sitting on the couch. Tohsaka was sitting on a chair, her chin on her arm. She eyed both, clearly not amused. "Are you two done?"

Michael grew sullen. "He started it..." Assassin punched his arm. Michael hit him back.

"I swear, you and Emiya are the weirdest Masters I've ever heard of! He's a completely incapable magus, and you're the worst Master of Assassin I've ever met."

"Well, that's a bit rude, considering I could've easily killed you and Shirou both." Michael took a seat on the chair opposite her and crossed his legs. Assassin sat on the couch next to Archer. Both eyes the other out of the corner of their eyes, wary.

Tohsaka snorted. "I doubt that. You have no weapons, and I easily took you down earlier."

Assassin chuckled at that. "Really Michael? I thought I'd taught you better."

Michael gave him a look that shot daggers. "You caught me off guard earlier. As I recall, I was a bit blinded by the iron grip on my ear. As for the weapon..." He held up his left arm and flexed his wrist and forearm; the hidden blade sprung forth from it's sheath, audibly making the distinctive _shing _sound. "... I think I have that covered."

Archer opened his eyes at the sound. He seemed interested in the weapon. Tohsaka's face was a mask. Michael continued. "I've had multiple opportunities to kill both of you. I have not, for reasons of my own."

She voiced a simple question: "Why?"

"Like I said, I have my own reasons. You obviously don't trust me, so for now I'll keep those to myself." He yawned.

"For the time being, I think it best that you, Shirou, and I either avoid each other, or band together. Like I said last night, there's no way any of us can stand against Berserker on our own. As it is, neither you or I want Shirou to die; if you did, you wouldn't have gone through all the trouble you did last night. In fact, I'd prefer if no one actually did die, but I suppose that can't be helped in the end."

Tohsaka was a bit surprised by his last statement. "How do you know I saved Shirou last night?"

Michael shrugged. "I've been feeling the presence of other Masters at school for a while. I'd stayed behind to hope to catch a glimpse of them. We followed you to see what you'd do, that's all."

The group grew quiet. Archer and Assassin had leaned back in their seats, eyeing each other. Tohsaka watched Assassin, studying him.

He glanced at her and smirked. "Excuse me, Miss Tohsaka, but in this day and age, I believe it's remarkably rude to stare."

She didn't look away. "You don't look like how Assassins are supposed to."

Michael nodded. "He's not a normal Assassin, trust me. He's stubborn, he's anything but quiet, and he's quite honorable. I think he'd be a better Saber Servant, but he'd lose his signature abilities."

Tohsaka looked at him, and Assassin gave him a death stare of his own. Michael stuck his tongue out at him in response. "Don't worry, I'm not going to reveal his identity. I don't trust you that much, at least for now."

The silence stretched on for a few more moments. Michael set his tea on the table, then spoke up again. "If there's nothing else, may I go? I need to get ready for school as well."

"Why are you doing things like this?" She gave him a look. He couldn't tell what she meant or what she was thinking.

"What do you mean? Why have I done what?"

"Everything. I want to know why." She tilted her head. "Any other Master, aside from Shirou, would've killed me, or him. You had the chance. You've had multiple chances. Neither you, nor he, make any sense at all."

Michael sighed. He wanted to tell her; if anyone could understand or would believe him, it'd be someone who's family was so closely intertwined with Zelretch.

"I can't tell you why, at least not now. You wouldn't believe me." He took a few steps towards the entryway, and looked back. "The only thing I'll tell you for now is that everything I've done has been because of our creed."

"Creed? What creed? I don't understand." She sounded confused. Archer perked up a bit at the word 'creed.' Michael figured that; doing what he did, he might've had some knowledge of the Assassins.

Michael Waved a hand in farewell. "The Assassins' creed." And with that, he left her staring at him as he walked out the door.

* * *

Michael entered his home. He was glad he didn't have practice this morning. As it was, he'd be late if he didn't move fast. Sighing, he went off to start his day, starting with a quick cup of coffee. He ended up having to use Reinforcement to make it to school on time, and even then he was a few minutes late.

Michael sighed. He wasn't wrong with what he'd told Assassin last night. Things were about to get a hell of a lot more interesting.

* * *

_Hey everyone, welcome the this week's installment of Fate/Creed! Have you guys been enjoying it so far?_

_A great deal of my inspiration for some things in this story has come from William Shakespeare. If it fits the overall theme of the chapter, they'll usually start off with a quote from a Shakespearean play. This week's chapter is one from the play _Henry IV._  
_

_So, our enigmatic protagonist has finally started the event he's been preparing the last year or two for. Having met both of our other protagonists, Rin Tohsaka and Shirou Emiya, Michael's got a lot on his hands now._

_This week's Author's Note will explain a few things. First off, the series of events have been changed already by Michael's and Assassin's presences. The events from here on will be a mix of all three routes showcased in the original Fate/stay night visual novel. How far these events will be changed remains to be seen._

_Secondly, Berserker's loves will heal over time, so the next time our group faces him and Ilyasviel, he'll have all 12 of his lives - and be immune to Assassin's tricks as well, though they won't know that! How will they deal with the raging monster that is Heracles, the greatest hero of all?_

_As for Assassin's ability itself, when used from Presence Concealment, the hidden blades get a huge bonus to the first attack, essentially making the attack an instant kill. The trick is that he has to stay hidden, and time it perfectly - making someone like Saber a target is a great tactic when he's fighting someone and intending to use this ability._

_On a different subject: sub-plots. I have a ton worked out that I could weave into the story, and if you keep an eye out, you might be able to spot the beginnings of those threads in this chapter or the preceding ones! To be honest, I'm not entirely sure if I will include all of them. One that I can say is _definitely_going to happen is the Shirou's and Saber's relationship, among others. The way the sub-plots will be done primarily is sprinkled sparsely throughout the action, with bigger parts happening during lulls in said action._

_What do you guys think of everything that's happened so far? I've enjoyed getting this entire idea out of my head and put together, though it couldn't have been done with the help of some friends._

_Next week, we'll see the group come together officially, and our enigmatic assassins will return to dealing with the Templars, as well as the introduction of more Servants and sub-plots! Feel free to speculate in your reviews and comments!_

_How will Michael deal with everything that will be coming their way? What is Michael's overall plan? How do the Templars factor in to the Holy Grail War, and will they force Michael and Assassin to reveal things that they'd rather not To the others? And what is with Shirou's stubbornness and Archer's over-hostility? Keep an eye out for next week's chapter to find out!_


	4. Chapter 3 - Stupid Is As Stupid Does

"Hell is empty. And all the devils are here..."

Ariel, William Shakespeare's The Tempest, Act 1, Scene 2

* * *

Michael sat at his desk in the classroom at Homurahara Gakuen, trying to scribble down what homework had been assigned the day before. He'd been out all night (hell, he hadn't gotten home until nearly 7 a.m., thanks to Fuyuki City's resident high school student idol), and hadn't gotten a chance to do most of the homework.

He glanced up, looking around the classroom. Most students were hanging around talking with friends or doing their own paperwork. Taiga came in, late as usual ("WAKE UP TIGER!"), and the day's classes began in earnest.

Later in the day, Michael took a look around again, becoming increasingly bored. He itched for night to fall; school was his second, if not third, priority. Due to the events of the night before, he was too excited to even drift off to sleep during math class.

He sighed as he looked over to where Shirou was seated. Despite all Tohsaka's and his objections, the fool still hadn't brought Saber with him to school. Michael buried his face in his arms. He wasn't entirely surprised; this had happened on every route in the visual novel.

Michael sighed. He supposed he'd just have to wait for Tohsaka to make her move, then decide what to do from there. She'd made it pretty clear that she considered both Shirou and Michael her enemies- at least for now; Michael's sides were bruised enough to show that. He had to figure out a way to get her to cooperate with him.

Michael figured Shirou wouldn't be a problem; Saber would be the issue in that partnership. Archer wouldn't be likely to care either way (alright, maybe he'd rather just kill all of them, but that was besides the point), but Tohsaka would likely ally with the both of them if the situation called for it.

Michael considered all the information he had, mulling everything over and looking for the most likely options. For one, Archer wasn't hurt like he had been in the Fate scenario; thus, Tohsaka was no longer at a disadvantage as she could've been. For another, Saber was likely capable of taking out Assassin, provided she wasn't hurt; even still, Michael wasn't willing to take chances against her in combat. She was too unpredictable in a fight to trust being able to be beaten.

If worst came to worst, Assassin would be able to stall Saber while Shirou stopped her (or Michael forced her tO, if it came to that). He was sure that Assassin could at least fight Aricher on equal terms, if not outright beat him. Even if Archer employed his reality marble, Unlimited Blade Works, Michael believed the Apple of Eden could turn the tide of battle in Assassin's favor.

Michael knew of two things that would be likely to bind the three of them together: either Rider's barrier, or Berserker's brutal combat efficiency. Michael doubted that Ilya would be around again anytime soon, much less that she'd show up when all three of them were in one place. Michael's best bet would be to stick around for when the other two fought after school. Rider and Shinji were sure to attack at some point. If they could save the girl, Shirou would likely discover the existence of the barrier and reveal it to the others.

Regardless, even if that didn't work, Michael was beginning to feel the barrier himself, although he wasn't sure if it was because he was keeping an eye out for it's effects, or if it was just that strong already. In either case, if he could feel it, Tohsaka should've been able to if she looked, and Shirou would feel it eventually.

_'Yeah,'_ he thought. _'Rider's barrier is my best bet for getting the alliance set up.'_ He decided to stick around after school again until the chain of events happened. If he remembered correctly, he shouldn't have to wait for any longer than a few days.

_"Don't forget,"_ a voice whispered in his mind. _"We still have the Templars to deal with." _Michael nodded. The Templars were wrapped up in this somehow; Assassin's presence and their increasing activities in the area were proof enough for the both of them. The assassin mentor and apprentice had managed to delay their efforts in the area, but they couldn't stop them forever.

_'Eventually, things are going to go somewhere,'_ he thought. _'Something's gotta give sooner or later.'_

Later at lunch that day, Michael was sitting at his usual lunchtime haunt, playing a few games of Magic: The Gathering and other card and board games with a small group of friends, namely Kaito and Yamato. It was good; he'd needed something to take his mind away from immediate matters, and a few strategical games would be fun.

Michael, Yamato, and Kaito had agreed the day before to bring their full armies with them. With a break not far away, and with their grades as they were, Taiga had agreed that they could skip their history class the day before, for "independent study time." Miyu loved days like these; the three of them caused a scene in the gaming rooms, striding in all business-like with their suitcases and serious looks. They'd slam they're briefcases down on the table and open them like they were part of a mob negotiation deal.

Truth be told, Michael enjoyed these times immensely. It reminded him of childhood times, watching shows like Yu-Gi-Oh! and Dragonball Z, with their simple concepts and awesome back stories (the fate of the world and all that). In any case, Michael had his secret weapons with him that day; 3 Magic decks based around dragons, knights, and undead, as well as Yu-Gi-Oh! decks, based around spellcasters, dragons, and fusions, among others. The Magic dragon deck and the fusion Yu-Gi-Oh! decks were his favorite; if he got lucky and played his hand right, he'd effectively win any match within a few turns.

The small group that had gathered began the Yu-Gi-Oh! matches, with random matching deciding who'd duel who. It was fairly easy to for the Big Three to get through the preliminary rounds. Eventually, the final round came; not surprisingly, it was down to Michael and Yamato, Kaito having been knocked out earlier due to overconfidence (he'd stalled to toy with his opponent, and lost because of it).

A large group had gathered around the table where they'd begun to duel. Michael had chosen his fusion deck. Based mostly around the Elemental Hero set with a few other cards thrown in (and Michael's secret weapons), it was a versatile deck capable of adapting to almost any situation. Yamato had chosen to use his Red-Eyes Black Dragon deck - a deadly deck if he could get out the various high level dragons within it summoned quickly. Michael had to hit him fast and hard if he wanted to win.

Michael had the advantage in that he was able to adapt his tactics depending on what Yamato did. Yamato's deck followed a basic strategy: sacrifice lower level dragons over and over again, until he summoned powerhouses like the Armed Dragon's higher tiers, or Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon, and the like. If Michael could prevent this, he had a good chance of winning.

Michael had his own secret weapon, but it'd be difficult to summon and use it unless he got lucky. His first hand consisted of the "Elemental Heroes Burstinatrix, Sparkman, Avian, Voltic, and Clayman", the "Black Luster Soldier", and the spell card "Reinforcement of the Army." Michael won the coin toss and chose to go first. He smiled slightly upon drawing a card. It was the field spell card, "Fusion Gate," which allowed him to fusion summon by banishing the fusion material monsters.

This paired well with "E. Hero Voltic," whose effect could be used to special summon a banished monster every time it dealt damage to the opponent. Using this, Michael was able to fusion summon the "E. Hero Flame Wingman" his first turn, putting him on the offensive from the beginning.

Yamato and Michael dueled back and forth, neither holding an advantage over the other for long. At one point, Michael was completely defenseless after Yamato had summoned his "Armed Dragon LV. 5." Through a combo of "Pot of Greed" and "Graceful Charity," Michael saved himself some time by activating the spell card "Swords of Revealing Light," giving himself 3 turns to come up with a way out.

In the end, Michael ended up winning. It was a hard won battle, but through a combination of the cards "Fusion Gate," "Dragon Master Knight," and "Return From the Different Dimension." Despite the formidable offense Yamato had set up, it had been no match for the force Michael had been able to assemble with those cards.

The lunchtime fun settled, the students returned to their studies and classes. Michael returned his briefcase to his locker and grabbed his bag. It'd had been a fun lunch, more fun than he'd had in a while. He looked around; Assassin was looking at him. He was trying - emphasis on trying - to look inconspicuous.

"What?" he asked warily. Michael knew that look, and he didn't like it. - "I took an, ahem, walk while you were 'geeking' out," he said. He seemed like he was trying very hard not to laugh. "I stumbled upon that girl we met last night."

"Oh, good. What'd you find out?" Michael didn't like where this was going. Not one bit. He knew Assassin well enough to know at this point where the conversation would likely go.

"Well, I, uh," he scratched his head. "I let it slip you were in the room on some free time. She seemed like she'd wanted to talk to you, so I pointed her in the right direction." He smiled. "I assume it was something about last night or some other business."

"Oh." Michael shrugged. "Oh." He felt his face go numb. "Oooohhhhh..." He buried his face in his hands. "Well, spit it out. What'd she do?" He looked up. Assassin was trying his hardest not to laugh, he could tell that much.

"If I'm not mistaken, she mumbled something about you being a 'good for nothing imbecile,' then stalked out into the hall." He chuckled.

Michael covered his face again. "Great... This is perfect. Absolutely perfect." He swore under his breath in a few, choice words he'd picked up from Assassin. "You know," he looked up. "You're the worst at helping. Ever." He let his face fall on the desk again.

Assassin laughed. "At least she knows you're a complete dweeb now, rather than letting her find out later." He attempted to stifle his laughter; Michael was clearly not amused. "If it's any consolation, I believe she saw that superb combo you used to win. I mentioned as much to her, I'll have you know." He struck a pose, one fist in the air, a foot upon a chair in a victory pose. "'Ah, but my Master is a brilliant strategist! I've never met a better in all my years!'"

Michael narrowed his eyes. "Aren't you supposed to be on my side? A little help would be appreciated."

"Ah, my young apprentice, there are few things I cannot resist in this world. A chance to have a little fun at your expense is not one of them." He chuckled, then faded away, presumably to save himself from his Master's wrath. - Michael grumbled. As much as he loved his Servant, he hated him about the same amount. The damn Italian wasn't help at all. He continued to cover his face throughout the rest of the day, shame etched permanently on his features.

* * *

Michael headed home, Assassin in spirit form beside him. They'd stayed until about 7 p.m., long past the determined curfew for the school grounds, not that it mattered to either; their skills made them virtually undetectable.

They'd seen neither hide nor tail of any of the other Masters. Assassin had perked up a bit at one point, but he'd shrugged it off when Michael had asked him. Michael assumed he'd be told at a later time; he made a mental note to ask anyways.

They'd gone home, and Michael had made dinner, eating until it was dark enough that Michael felt comfortable. He didn't bother to change into his assassin robes.

Within a few minutes, Michael was running through the streets, Assassin beside him in ethereal form, conserving prana.

About an hour later, Michael stood upon a carved gargoyle, balancing in the air high above the city below. The building was one of the tallest in the city; they could observe most of it from up here. The wind lightly pulled at his clothing and hair.

They'd spent a part of the night already lurking around. They'd caught wind of something, so they'd investigated. What they found was concerning; something, or someone, had sealed off an office building.

Some sort of gas, which Michael believed to be magical in nature, had forced everyone to collapse unconscious. They'd opened windows, so everyone should've been fine in the morning, but Michael was concerned nonetheless.

"It's so peaceful," Michael murmured, looking out. Assassin nodded his agreement. The city was clearly spread out beneath them, lights twinkling below and far away.

"It's about to get a hell of a lot less so," Assassin noted. Michael raised an eyebrow questioningly. Assassin shrugged. "It seems we're being watched."

"Oh? Looks like it's time for a chase." He looked Assassin in the eye, then both nodded. Without another word, Michael leapt off the outcropping into the air, calling upon the wind to support and slow him in his descent.

The two Assassins led their pursuer on a wild chase throughout the city, staying far enough ahead to be frustrating, but close enough to not be lost. After about an hour, they got bored, and decided to stop and see who they'd been playing with.

On a building high above those surrounding it, the Assassins stood, waiting for their opponent to reveal himself. Michael got bored of waiting quickly. He sat on the ground, attempting to juggle some of his knives. Assassins was perched on the small square covering the entrance to the building. Aside from that, there was a helicopter landing pad, which Michael sat in the center of, and a large satellite tower on the corner.

Eventually, Michael got bored enough that he'd had enough.

"Screw this, Assassin," he said, yawning. "I'm taking a nap. Wake me when they show up." He glanced over at Assassin quickly. He was no longer sitting, but standing, looking up at the tower.

"Never mind," Michael sighed. He looked to where Assassin had his eyes pointed. Standing atop the tower was a man in a blue bodysuit. _'Not surprising. Lancer is just a lookout for Kotomine.'_

"Heh, you look like a couple of clowns," Lancer said. He held his hand out in front of him, and his spear materialized. "How about we have a little circus right here?"

Assassin stood where he was. He didn't take a stance, nor did he say a word. Lancer shrugged and looked at Michael. "Hey boy. What's with your Servant? Is he deaf or just dumb?"

Michael shrugged and began to respond, before Assassin cut him off. "Big talk coming from a simple dog." Lancer's face twitched slightly.

Michael chuckled. "I think you've made him mad."

Lancer dropped his head, exaggerating his motions. He was visibly relaxed, his spear across his shoulders and both arms draped across it. "It makes no difference. Not like a lowly Assassin can stand up to a Lancer-class Servant anyways." He looked back up, face becoming slightly confused for a moment. His spear and arms swept into motion, blocking the trio of throwing knives coming his way, easily.

"Huh, not surprising. Certainly a natural thing for a cowardly Assassin to do." Lancer chuckled. He jumped off the tower, and walked towards the center of the helipad, settling into a combat stance. "How about it, coward. Ready to die?" He grinned, a somewhat feral visage.

Assassin shrugged, looking at Michael. "You mind?" Michael shook his head.

"Go ahead dude," he said, smiling. "Besides, might as well let you have Some fun. I took the fun from you last night." Assassin nodded, then stepped off the doorway, cracking his knuckles as he walked toward the spearman. He settled into his own stance, knees slightly bent and arms raised in front of him.

Lancer stared for a moment, one eyebrow raised. "What, you're so scared you're not going to draw your weapons?" His eyes noted the sword and small dagger on Assassin's belt.

Assassin smirked. "Trust me, I won't need them for the likes of you." Lancer frowned at that, angry at being thought so low of by an Assassin. Lancer composed himself, then shrugged.

"Your funeral." With that, Lancer kicked off speeding towards Assassin. He smirked, evidently thinking he had Assassin's death easily in the bag. Assassin shifted his lead foot slightly, extending his left arm to shift the spear's trajectory and grabbing it with his right. He leaned backwards, letting Lancer flip over him.

Lancer landed with a soft thud on his back. He lay there for a moment, eyes disbelieving, then came back to his feet. He settled into another ready stance. "Interesting... You're not a regular Assassin, are you?"

Assassin smiled. "Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe I'm not an Assassin at all." Lancer laughed at that.

"Oh please. What other Servant would throw knives around like they're some kind of cheap parlor trick?" They moved closer together. Lancer was more wary this time, although he wasn't overly concerned. He had a far longer reach than Assassin did.

For his part, Assassin wasn't overly concerned either. Lancer obviously didn't know who he was. That gave him a distinct advantage, considering he knew who Lancer was. Lancer stopped moving, then stepped back, taking a long look at his opponent.

Assassin grumbled to himself, then stepped back as well. "What's the matter, dog? Afraid of being beaten by a 'lowly Assassin'?" He smirked. Lancer became more angry at the second utterance of the insult.

Assassin smiled. He raised his arms in a semi-apologetic gesture. "Alright, alright. My apologies, sir." He settled into a ready stance again. "Let's have a good, clean fight. On my word as a noble."

Lancer crouched into his own ready stance again, spear at the ready. The head began to smoke, wafts of mist curling off. Assassin grinned. Lancer gave a smile of his own, before asking, "How would you feel if I ended this fight, right here and now?"

Assassin laughed. "I doubt even you could do that to me, Lancer." He let his arms fall. "Tell you what: as an apology for my misconduct earlier, I'll give you a free shot." He crossed his arms, grinning. "How about it, sound good?"

Lancer thought about it for a moment. He smiled. This would be perfect, and easy kill. "Very well then, Assassin." He raised his spear. "Although, I doubt you'll live to tell the tale!" He threw the spear directly at Assassin, shouting, "Gáe Bolg!"

The spear became a trajectory of pure, red light, a line streaking right towards Assassin's chest. Lancer grinned, victory near. "Thanks for the free kill, fool!" His breath caught in his throat a moment later - the spear hadn't pierced Assassin's armor. "What's this? Impossible!" Assassin laughed.

"My armor is made out of a special material," he explained. "It's impenetrable, even to your spear, or someone with the strength of Heracles." He examined the spear closely. "A fine weapon, befitting a warrior of your caliber." Assassin settled into another combat stance, this time with his sword and dagger out.

"Now," he said, grinning. "How about we have a real fight?" Lancer grimaced, angered. The two launched towards each other.

Michael watched the two dueling from his seat on the entrance. He shook his head when Assassin let himself be hit. _'Ever the show-off,"_ he thought.

Lancer evidently wasn't pleased. First, he finds an Archer who fights with swords, now an Assassin who fights toe-to-toe with a Servant of the three knight classes? Poor guy was having a pretty rough War.

The two had separated for a moment when the wind shifted. Michael caught scent of something from the north. He glanced behind them. The building there was still in the process of being built; however, there was a large tower crane situated atop - a perfect vantage point for someone to observe them.

Michael drew a throwing knife and tossed it behind him, muttering a slight incantation as he did. The wind heeded his command, supporting the knife as it flew through the air, speeding it towards the tower. As he suspected, something was hiding there; the dagger was suddenly deflected of course.

In response, an arrow came streaking towards him, though he was able to use the wind to deflect it enough that it hit the ground next to him. He sighed. That made it easy enough to figure out who was up there watching. He reached into one of his pockets, pulling out a small scrap of paper and a pen. He scribbled a note on the paper, then folded it haphazardly, sending it on it's way with another small sentence.

A few minutes passed. Assassin and Lancer continued their duel. Both were grinning, clearly enjoying themselves. Assassin was still using his sword and dagger. The wind blew a little more strongly, and Michael heard a pair of feet land on the building behind him.

Without turning around, he said, "Enjoy the show." He didn't hear either pair move. Glancing back, he asked, "Whats the matter? I don't have any popcorn, unfortunately, else I'd offer some. Otherwise, my only complaint is it's a bit chilly up here."

Archer was watching Assassin and Lancer fight, his eyes moving back and forth. His arms were crossed, and he had that scowl on his face. Tohsaka stood there frowning at him. Michael looked at her inquisitively. "What?"

She continued to glare at him. Michael shrugged and turned back around to watch the Servant's duel. He patted the ground next to him. "Come on, take a seat. There's more than enough space for us."

Archer either ignored him, or actually didn't hear him. Tohsaka moved to sit next to him. Assassin and Lancer continued to dance about, weapons clashing. After a few minutes, Michael heard a slight chattering sound, if only for a moment. He glanced at Tohsaka subtly. She seemed chilled; understandable, given that they were almost 500 feet in the air.

She was wearing her normal casual clothes; a long-sleeved red shirt with white crosses, a miniskirt, and thigh-high stockings. The night was a bit chilly, but it must've been colder than he'd realized; Michael was from upstate New York, so he supposed it was a bit more chilly for her than it was for him.

He pondered for a moment, wondering why she hadn't thought to bring a jacket out with her. Pushing the thought away, he removed his hoodie, then offered it to her. Tohsaka stared at it for a moment before putting it on without a word.

Michael chuckled lightly, causing her to glare at him once more. He shrugged apologetically; he stood about a foot or so taller than her, so it was huge. It looked like the young woman had completely disappeared inside it.

"What's so funny?" she demanded. She had that murderous glint in her eyes, which Michael had decided that he definitely did not like.

He shook his head. "Nothing, it just looks a bit big on you, that's all." He stared a moment longer. "You remind me of my... Of someone that I used to know, as well," he said. He turned his head back to the fight.

Assassin and Lancer continued to dance about each other. Lancer had the advantage in reach, but Assassin was quicker, and his ability to throw knives kept Lancer on his toes. He hadn't used a hidden blade yet either; Michael supposed he was either saving it, or didn't plan to use it at all.

Either way, both seemed to be enjoying themselves immensely. They broke apart for a short while, each complimenting the other. Lancer was truly impressed that Assassin was able to hold his own. He wasn't the only one; Michael heard Archer utter a few words every now and then.

After a little bit longer, Lancer took a stop back. He cocked his head slightly, and seemed to be listening to something. He sighed. "Unfortunately, my Master has ordered me to return." He bowed slightly, and turned to leave. "It's been fun, Assassin. We should do this again sometime."

Assassin had sheathed both of his weapons. He nodded his head slightly in return, honoring his opponent. With that, Lancer leapt off the building. Assassin turned around, walking towards the group.

"So," he said. "I see you've managed to gather a few companions." Michael shrugged.

"Don't look at me, they just sorta dropped by. Figured you'd like an audience, so I invited them to stay, Mr. Show-off."

Assassin feigned surprise, grinning. "Why, Michael! I have no idea what you could possibly be talking about." His face turned slightly serious for a moment as he examined his chest piece, verifying that it did not need to be fixed.

Michael rolled his eyes. "You know very well what I'm talking about, Mr. _'I'll Give You a Free Shot'_."

Assassin suddenly clutched at his heart, dropping to his knees. "Ah, but you've wounded me, my Master! My poor heart has given out from the lack of respect!"

Michael rolled his eyes again, looking at Tohsaka. "You see what I have to work with? Completely irresponsible."

Assassin suddenly appeared behind him, draping an arm over Michael's shoulders. His voice was deadly serious. "As I recall, someone else was particularly showy today - around lunchtime if I remember correctly." He grinned again, devilishly, then jumped off the side of the building.

Michael's face turned red. "I've no idea what you're talking about!" He jumped to his feet. Without looking at either Archer or Tohsaka, he ran to the side of the building, shouting, "Get back here, you bastard!"

He turned back to Tohsaka and Archer, shrugging apologetically. "In any case, we have an issue. Someone's been -"

"Siphoning energy from people in the city." Tohsaka finished. He nodded.

Michael turned, crossing his arms and looking out over the city. "I know this is a War, but..." He said quietly, shaking his head. "Civilian casualties should be avoided. At all costs."

"No matter what, the War comes first," Tohsaka said. "That's my priority as a magus. If saving those people helps me win the Grail, then so be it."

"So you're just going to let them die otherwise?" Michael exclaimed. He didn't mean to yell, but he didn't like that way of thinking. His magic was a gift, and he meant to use it to save others less fortunate than himself.

Neither Archer nor Tohsaka said anything in reply. A few moments passed silently. Michael turned halfway back to look at them. Archer had a hard look on his face. He shook his head, frowning at Michael. Tohsaka had the same hard look.

"No matter what you do, you can't save everyone." Archer looked away, staring out over the city. He seemed to be looking elsewhere though. "To save one life, you must take another."

Michael looked down at his hands, thinking back to the lives he'd taken up to this point. "I know. Trust me, I know. Doesn't mean I can't wish for things to be another way."

Michael looked forward. "In any case, I'm going to stop whoever is doing this. Just so you know." He took a few steps back, briefly pausing to say, "Well, guess I'll see ya around."

"Wait!" The voice came from Tohsaka. Michael stopped mid-stride, turning back to look at her in surprise. Archer seemed a bit taken aback as well.

She mumbled something, looking at her feet; he thought he heard her say. "...thank you for not killing me..." but he wasn't sure. She looked up at him, a sudden hard look on her face. "But next time we meet, we're enemies. I won't hesitate to kill you. Or Shirou," she added. He nodded.

With that, she turned and walked towards the southern edge of the building, Archer at her heels. Michael took a running start again, then leaped as he reached the edge, spreading his arms and keeping his legs together as Assassin had taught him.

He was halfway down the building, free falling, before he realized she still had his jacket.

* * *

Michael ran, weaving in and out of the streets of Fuyuki. He was on his way home. He felt... Something or someone was following or watching him. He didn't like the feeling.

He continued to run, attempting to make himself seem at ease. Michael wasn't sure who it could be, but he didn't plan to find out. He began to use Reinforcement, running faster and faster. He was home soon after he'd left the building Assassin and Lancer had fought on.

Michael reached his home. The lights were on in the living room. Assassin was likely watching the television. Sadly, he'd become addicted to it. It was quite sad; he was something of a couch potato.

Michael poured himself a small cup of sweet tea, then went to the weight training room, shutting the door behind him. He was restless; he wouldn't be able to sleep. Not for a while, maybe not at all.

Michael sighed. When he was stressed or thinking like this, it had worried his mom. He had often gone without sleep, sometimes for days at a time, in his old world. It was one of the few things that hadn't changed.

_'Well, if I'm not sleeping, might as well do something,"_ Michael thought. He turned on some music, somewhat loudly. He was glad his neighbors weren't close. Michael grabbed a wooden pole, then started to go through combat motions, weaving through various stances and maneuvers.

From then on, the night blended together. Michael changed training weapons and routines multiple times. Before he knew it, the alarm went off, signaling the time to get ready for school. He sighed and turned it off, then went to take a shower and begin the day anew.

* * *

Michael staggered sleepily towards the school. He'd stashed 3 travel cups of coffee in his suitcase. Hopefully, they'd keep him awake long enough to see him through the day. If worst came to worst, he could always pick something up that had caffeine in it. Assassin was, as always, by his side, walking in spirit form.

Michael crossed the threshold into the school grounds, the early morning light bright and low in the sky. As he did, he felt something tug at his gut, something unnatural. He felt the barrier pushing down on him, an uneasy sickness gnawing at his stomach.

_'Well,'_ he thought. _'This is definitely the barrier.'_

"What's wrong Michael?" Assassin asked. A

"Nothing, Assassin, it's just... The field. It's getting stronger, and quickly." Michael shuddered at the thought of what could eventually happen. He shook the feeling off; there'd be time to deal with it later.

Michael spent the day staring lazily out the window (which earned him a slap on the head from Taiga), and then taking a nap during lunchtime. He wasn't the only one; other students, not many but enough for him to notice, also spent most of the day like that. Even the teachers were a little less active than usual.

Michael attributed it to the effects of the barrier. It was becoming strong, stronger with each passing day. They'd have to stick around again after school. If no one else did, he had to prevent the barrier from completing.

One thing diverted his attention during the day's classes. Assassin spoke to him after he had left the classroom (he'd never liked math). He noticed some strange men in the lower levels of the school. Following them, he realized they were with the school's vice principal; all 4 of the men and women had left in a van with the label Abstergo Industries on the side.

Michael did not like the sound of that at all. He began to plan; this should've been the third day of Fate/stay night. In that case, he had to keep an eye out, possibly prevent Shirou from leaving.

Tohsaka would likely be making her own investigation on the barrier. While Michael poked around for Templar information, she and Shirou could fight, and hopefully, Shinji and Rider would make their own move.

Michael hoped he'd be done by then. He wanted to join the two. At that point, neither could possibly have any reservations about creating an alliance, and he'd be one step closer to furthering his goals.

Michael closed his eyes and lay his head down. Language class was the most boring.

The school day ended, bells ringing, students flooding the hallways. Michael found Issei Ryuudou, the class president. As class secretary, Michael was responsible for keeping track of their records; luckily, he'd made a note of something that had needed fixing in their meeting room.

Issei, ever looking for ways to save money, tended to go to Shirou for help - just as Michael wanted.

His plan in action, Michael and Assassin went into hiding, protected by Assassin's Presence Concealment skill. They crept around the school, Assassin using his personal skill, Eagle Sense, to look for anything out of the ordinary.

They'd crept past where Shirou was talking with some class mates; apparently a girl had gone missing. _'Thats right,'_ Michael thought._ 'Shinji and that girl went missing around this time.'_

They did come across Tohsaka, as well. She was examining various parts of the building, evidently looking for the barrier. Michael smiled; it wasn't quite going according to plan, but everyone was here regardless.

When they reached the vice principal's office, Michael took a lock picking tool out of his suitcase. He silently thanked Assassin for teaching him how to do this. Being an Assassin came with many, many skills. Assassin took a lookout point, keeping an eye out for anyone who might pass by.

After a few moments, the lock clicked and the door was able to be opened. The Assassins moved inside, shutting the door quietly behind them. They spread out, looking for anything that might be useful in their investigation. Of course, they needed to keep an eye out for things like false bottoms in drawers, hidden compartments behind painting; that sort of thing.

Due to their familiarity with that sort of work, they soon found what they were looking for. Assassin had found a hidden safe behind a painting, and Michael had found his own cache inside multiple compartments of the desk. What the two found within shocked them.

The Templars had entire plans drafted on the basis of the Holy Grail War. It seemed they planned to utilize it's power; for what, the plans didn't say. What was more disturbing was that the Templars had extensive information on all of the Masters within the school. There were multiple pages in the packets for all 4 of them, as well as their Servants.

They even had knowledge on Michael's fake background, though they evidently believed it to be real. This was all disturbing. They had made particular note that Assassin was the Heroic Spirit of Ezio Auditore - it seemed they wanted to get them out of the picture, considering them dangerous to the plan.

What this "plan" was, Michael wasn't sure. But he intended to find out, and put a stop to it.

Another small sheet indicated that they planned to use an Artifact, likely an Apple, to manipulate most of the school. It seemed they'd already put that plan into motion. There were sheets documenting various student's and staff's reactions to the Apple's abilities and manifestations.

It seemed the vice principal was someone very, very important to the Templars within the city. Michael and Assassin would have to rectify that, and take the Apple for themselves if at all possible.

They'd also need to be far more cautious. If the notes were to be believed, they had targets - very large ones - on their backs. They now needed to watch out for the Templars, along with the other Masters, more than ever.

_'This War is getting very interesting, very, very fast,'_ Michael thought.

During all this, Michael and Assassin had heard shout and rumbles, coming from around the school. It was obviously Tohsaka and Shirou. Not surprising; she had promised to kill them next time they met.

"Jeez, could they get any louder?" Assassin asked. Michael chuckled.

"It's a good thing no one else is here," Michael said. They continued their investigation.

* * *

Michael heard what he was waiting for as he was finishing taking pictures and putting away the Templar plans. A girl's scream echoed through the halls.

"Assassin, finish putting those away, then come join us." Assassin nodded, and Michael sprinted off towards the sound. He came upon the scene just as Tohsaka and Shirou did.

"Hey, what're you -" Shirou exclaimed, before Michael cut him off.

"Later," he said, his face and tone of voice making it evident that now wasn't the time. All three examined the girl that lay sprawled on the ground in front of them. Faint, afternoon light showered them through the exit door, slightly ajar.

Tohsaka stood off to the side, seemingly impatient. Her hands were on her hips, and she seemed none too pleased. Whether it was because she was interrupted, or because neither Shirou nor Michael were ignoring her, Michael couldn't tell (nor did he particularly care at the moment).

Shirou knelt next to her, examining her body for injuries or harm. "Is she just unconscious?"

Tohsaka's voice interrupted his spoken thoughts, harshly. "Of course she isn't." Shirou looked up, surprised by her tone of voice. Michael stood near the door, looking outside for signs of anyone.

Tohsaka continued. "Someone has drained her prana, her life force. If we leave her like this, she'll die."

Shirou was very concerned at this. He was surprised even more by Tohsaka's declaration, and his response showed it. "How will she die? There's not a scratch on her!"

Michael answered next. "She may look fine on the outside, but on the inside, she's been drained." He thought for a moment, thinking of an example that'd help him understand. "Think of it like how spiders eat: the outside looks fine, but the inside is all gone. It's the same for her; all her life force has been drained away."

Shirou looked more concerned with each word. Tohsaka nodded. "Stand aside. I can do something to help." She moved towards the girl, kneeling at her head and holding her arm out, a jewel clutched in it.

Shirou stood back, observing the process. Michael did the same. Shirou had a curious look on his face, like he'd thought of something. Michael wondered what it meant, what he was thinking.

He pushed the thought away and returned his attention to Tohsaka. She knelt at the girl's head, quietly murmuring an incantation. Sunlight and a small breeze came in through the door, bathing her in the soft evening light and lazily pulling at her hair.

She opened her eyes suddenly, exclaiming, "Damn it, I cannot concentrate! Shut that door!" Michael nodded and quickly went to it. He noticed a small glint, something moving in the sunlight outside. It was a small knife.

His battle reflexes kicked in before he knew it. His arm came up, intending to block the projectile with his hidden blade's bracer. It had worked before, and should've worked again.

Michael had been hurt before. He'd been shot. He'd been stabbed. He'd been kicked, punched, and more. But he'd never felt pain like this. Something blasted into his forearm, completely breaking through the leather-backed-metal bracer. whatever it was, it faded from view right after.

He screamed in pain, but moved towards the door, standing beside it and looking out for any signs of the enemy. Tohsaka and Shirou yelled his name. Shirou grabbed his shoulder, and Tohsaka yelled, "Your arm! There's a hole in it! There's a hole in it, Michael!"

Michael shrugged his arm out of Shirou's grip. Through gritted teeth, he said, "Tohsaka, do whatever you have to for the girl. Shirou, you're coming with me." He ran out into the evening light, and Shirou followed, somewhat reluctantly. Tohsaka shouted after them.

The two Masters ran, Michael leading and Shirou following. Michael felt that whatever had hit him was still in his arm; it had faded from view, but it was definitely still there. They reached the edge of the athletic fields, peering around intently for any clue of whoever it was.

"What kind of lunatic throws something like that at a guy's arm?" Shirou asked.

Michael shook his head. "They threw it at Tohsaka's head, not me... And whoever it was is definitely still around here."

Shirou nodded. "You're right. I can feel it too."

They glanced around, looking for anything odd. Shirou's eyes set upon a building on the edge of the forest.

"There!" he yelled. "Behind the archery dojo!" He sprinted off, Michael close behind.

They walked through the underbrush, as quietly as possible. Sunlight broke through the leafless branches and trees, casting odd and off shadows. Michael quietly summoned Assassin in his spiritual form, telling him to wait for his signal.

The two of them crept forward. Shirou held his makeshift weapon at the ready, and Michael readied his second hidden blade, though he didn't extend it. Shirou suddenly stopped, peering at a group of trees. Michael briefly heard laughter.

Shirou seemed to relax, and said, "Hey! Shinji, is that you?" He stepped forward. "I thought you'd stayed home today. Issei said you were sick."

Immediately after, Michael shouted in pain. Something had pulled on his arm, the one that had blocked whatever had been thrown earlier. It was definitely connected to something.

Shirou screamed in pain as well, collapsing to his knees. He clutched at his neck, coughing for a moment. He pulled his hand away, seeming shocked at the blood on his fingers.

Something dropped to the ground in front of them. It, no, she, was definitely a Servant. Shirou yelled the obvious, "A Servant!?" Her face was hidden by the sun that was behind her. Within a second, she was gone.

Shirou staggered to his feet, glancing around above him. Michael stood in no ready stance, keeping his eyes closed and his ears open for the angle of the next attack. Michael turned to look. Shirou swung, blocking the attack that had been coming towards himself, being thrown back.

The Servant disappeared again, blending quickly into the trees. Shirou and Michael once again went on their guard. Shirou started to mutter something, but Michael cut him off, listening.

The forest was silent, too silent. "She's watching us," Shirou murmured. "We don't stand a chance against a Servant! The next time she attacks, we're dead!" Michael shot a look at him, threatening him to be quiet.

Shirou seemed deep in thought at that point. He murmured something, shaking his head repeatedly, staring at his command spell. Michael shut his eyes again, peering intently around him. "Shirou, I have a plan," he muttered as quietly as he could. "Don't summon Saber... Trust me on this one." Shirou nodded.

After a few moments, a voice called out, "I'm surprised. Aren't you going to use your command spell." The voice was feminine; it was probably the Servant.

Shirou shook his head. "I hate to disappoint you, but I'm sorry. I only have so many of them." He chuckled, then called back, "I can't waste one on a little thing like this." Michael chuckled. If nothing else, the guy had guts.

The voice responded. "I see... However, too much bravado will lead to regret on your part." Shirou resumed his ready stance, gritting his teeth and yelling, "Where are you?! Where did you go?!"

Michael held out his good arm, urging Shirou to be quiet. He started to speak, but instead let out a short gasp of pain as something tugged on his left arm. _'Shit, that hurts!'_

The voice rang out again, clear laughter preceding it. "I suppose I can't go all-out against Masters with no Servants." Michael grinned; clearly they didn't think Assassin was nearby.

"Very well then. I'll try a different approach. You two will have easy, clean deaths."

The forest went quiet again, save for the sound of Michael's short gasping breaths (there was light pressure on his arm; it hurt). More laughter from the Servant came, and Shirou turned at the sound of a chain being thrown out. He managed to deflect it with his makeshift weapon.

The Servant seemingly fled again, and Shirou let out a small sound of victory. Smiling, he said, "You're not so tough! Compared to the other Servants -"

Michael cut him off. "She's still a Servant, Shirou. Don't let your guard down. That's what she wants."

Michael got Shirou's attention quietly, and motioned for him to run towards the school grounds. He did so, and Michael followed. "Keep an eye out. She definitely won't let us get far." He nodded in response.

The two young men ran, ripping through the underbrush. The edge of the forest came within sight. Shirou let out a sigh of relief. "Almost there! We can make it!"

The Servant's voice rang out again, from all directions at once. It was slightly disorienting. "No. It's the end of the line for both of you."

The sound of a chain whipping through the air rang out, and Michael screamed in pain, being pulled several feet back. Shirou stood where he was, shock on his face.

The Servant materialized out of the brush, walking towards Michael, who lay still on the forest floor. Shirou came on guard, holding his weapon in front of him. She grinned, a somewhat feral visage, licking her lips. "You've been my prisoner since the very beginning of this chase." She made a gesture with her left arm, and Michael's arm was pulled back. He grit his teeth against the pain.

"I... Knew it..." Michael gasped between clenched teeth. Shirou uttered a small gasp, then jumped towards the woman. She blocked the blow easily, without even looking, and Shirou was thrown back, hitting a tree. He seemed to go unconscious.

The Servant laughed and made another motion. Michael was pulled into the arm. The chain was wrapped around a tree branch. _'Perfect,'_ he thought. _'Just what I was waiting for.'_ He grabbed the branch, pulling himself up a bit and lessening the pressure on his arm.

The Servant stared up at him, or seemed to. Michael remembered that this Servant, Rider, wore a mask, concealing her eyes. Michael noticed Shirou staggering to his feet behind her.

Stupidly, unthinking, Shirou charged at her, only to again be thrown back without effort. "Are you brave, or just stupid? You always seem to make the choice that involves pain."

Rider turned her attention fully to Shirou. "You said something interesting a few minutes ago. Am I really inferior to other Servants?" Keeping a grip on the chain attached to Michael's arm, she stalked towards the fallen boy, saying, "I think I need to make you reevaluate your thoughts on that."

Turning her attention away from Michael was just what he wanted. As she turned away from him, he pulled himself up to the branch, steadying himself and drawing a dagger. He yelled, "Now Assassin!" just as she threw another stake at Shirou. Assassin materialized and blocked the stake meant for the boy.

The knife Michael threw using his momentum sped toward the Servant, propelled further by his Magecraft. It wouldn't likely harm her, but it'd be enough to put her off balance.

Something else happened that Michael hadn't planned on: purple-black bolts shot out of the tree line, breaking through the chain attacked to the stake in Michael's arm. Michael tumbled off the branch, the sudden release in pressure causing him to gasp slightly. He hit the ground, rolling with his wounded arm close to his chest to lessen the shock.

Rider bounded away after first being confronted by Assassin, then Tohsaka entering the battle. Assassin watched her run off, then turned his attention towards Shirou, whom was still unconscious. Tohsaka ran toward Michael, who was kneeling on the ground where he'd landed.

"Michael, are you all right?" He nodded in response.

* * *

It had taken them some time to get the bracer off without causing Michael any significant amount of pain. It didn't help that he'd needed to pull out the remnants of the stake first.

Assassin stood watch visibly, a detergent against any further attacks from Rider. Michael couldn't tell if Archer was around, although he thought so. That guy was really helpful.

Tohsaka had used her magecraft to heal it up a little, then wrapped a bandage around his arm, neatly thing the knot.

"This is just a quick fix," she said. Michael nodded, holding up his arm and attempting to flex his fingers. He'd need to heal it fully later.

"You didn't need to use your magecraft," he said. "I could've done it myself, though I appreciate the help." She glared at him before turning away, crossing her arms.

"I just wanted to find out why you did something so incredibly stupid, that's all." Assassin chuckled at her tone. She ignored him, continuing on. "Now then, who was that woman?"

Michael shrugged. "Not sure. She was definitely a Servant though. She wasn't anywhere close to the level of Archer or Saber. I think she was a Rider-class."

Michael stood and looked to the sky. It was getting late.

"What about her Master?"

Michael shrugged again. "I didn't see anyone, but... At one point, Shirou stopped. I think I heard him mention Shinji, but I'm not sure." He scratched the back of his head, grinning apologetically. "Sorry. I was kinda focused on getting through the pain at the time."

She glared, but Michael didn't think she was mad at him. "I see... I already knew that we weren't the only Masters at school."

Michael leaned inward a bit, a questioning look on his face. "'Knew?' What do you mean you knew?" He turned and walked towards Shirou, saying, "I've suspected that there were more than just us, but I haven't been able to confirm it."

Her next words were blunt, straight and to the point. "You know about the barrier surrounding the campus as well, I'm sure." Michael nodded. Shirou was awake, although it seemed he hadn't been for long.

"Other Masters? A barrier? I did have a bad feeling, but I wasn't sure," Shirou said. He looked mildly confused. Michael assumed he'd taken quite a shock; Rider had hit him hard, multiple times.

Shirou looked first to Tohsaka, then to Michael, a worried look on his face. "Do you think whoever attacked the girl is the one who put up the barrier?" He sat forward, wincing slightly. "Tohsaka! I forgot! How is she?"

She bowed slightly. "Relax. She's fine. She's unconscious, but she'll be found soon enough."

Shirou smiled. "That's a relief. Thank you."

Shirou looked at Michael next. Michael stood off to the side, an arm cupped under his chin, seemingly deep in thought. It took Michael a second to notice the stare. "Hey, don't look at me. I've spent the last few nights getting rid of this sort of thing in buildings downtown." Both looked to Tohsaka next.

She seemed flustered and embarrassed for just a moment. "What? Why are you staring at me like that?" She crossed her arms again, indignantly. "I wasn't the one who put up that barrier."

Michael shook his head. "Oh... No. I know you wouldn't do something like that." Shirou nodded, agreeing.

"What is it then?" She was confused.

Shirou spoke next. "Round two?" She seemed confused by this. "Are you going to pick up where you left off?"

Michael chuckled. "That was all you guys? Jeez, could you have been any louder?"

Both ignored him. He shrugged. That was apparently becoming a thing.

The group was quiet for a moment. A dangerous moment. Michael felt the tension in the air, and it made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end.

All eyes were on Tohsaka. She stood there, her eyes closed. She came to a decision after a few moments. "No. I'm bored now. I've lost interest after all of this. Let's just call it a day and go home."

The mood lightened considerably. Shirou smiled, letting out a small laugh. Tohsaka turned, walking out of the forest. "Well, let's get going before my spell wears off."

Shirou looked to Michael. He shrugged in response. Both looked to Assassin, whom shook his head. "Don't ask, just follow the girl." The two masters again looked at one another, then followed after her.

* * *

Tohsaka led the two of them to her home. Shirou seemed astounded by the sheer size of the place. She led them in through the hallway to the living room, where Michael had met with her before. Archer was already there, getting tea ready. A fire roared in the fireplace and a first aid kit was on the edge of the table.

Shirou took a seat on a chair, observing. Tohsaka forced Michael down onto the couch, then opened the first aid kit, unwrapping the wound and examining it.

She sighed. "If this wound gets infected and you die, I'll feel responsible."

Michael snorted at that. "Would you rather my arm be infected, or you no longer have a head?" Tohsaka didn't respond. She did, however, pour a generous amount of antiseptic on the wound, and rubbed it clean. She seemed to enjoy when he winced in pain at her actions.

"Well that was a little more harsh than necessary," he said when she was finished wrapping his arm back up. She laughed, retorting with, "Would you rather it get infected, or deal with my harsh treatment?"

Michael went silent for a moment, not knowing how to respond. He finally admitted defeat. "Touché."

Tohsaka was looking at Shirou's wounds. He had numerous small scraps and cut, and a gash on the back of his head. Most of them had, miraculously, seemed to have healed.

Both Michael and Tohsaka were interested by this. "They're all almost healed... Do they hurt?" Shirou shook his head. "No, I feel pretty god, except for the headache."

Tohsaka went into thought. "The same thing happened the other night... And that time with Berserker, you were nearly cut in half! You have an unusually high natural healing ability, Emiya."

Michael interjected. "Maybe it has something to do with Saber? Perhaps there's some kind of power flow from her to him via their contract?"

Tohsaka nodded. "Possibly. That's all I can think of."

"I don't really understand any of this," Shirou said. "But does this mean that as long as Saber is here, I'll heal by myself?"

Tohsaka nodded, and said, "I wouldn't rely on it too much. If Saber really is the one healing you, that means she uses prana whenever you get hurt." She finished cleaning out his wounds and looked at him. "Do you understand what that means?"

Shirou held up and arm, looking at a small scrape. "I think so... Even when Saber uses prana, I don't replenish it." His voice was tentative, unsure.

"Yeah," Michael said. "I'd hold off on doing stupid crap. Like what I did earlier." He grinned.

Tohsaka stood, cleaning off the table and putting the first aid kit away. Michael poured tea for the three of them as best he could without causing pain, and handed her a cup as she sat down. After a moment, Shirou spoke.

"Earlier... You said there was another Master at the school?" He leaned back, looking at the ceiling. "You don't know who they are?"

Michael nodded. Tohsaka did as well. She set her cup down, offering an explanation. "I can sense them, but not well enough to track down and find out who they are." She frowned. "All I know is that they're... Not a good person. It doesn't feel right."

"That's to be expected," Michael said. "If they're willing to kill everyone in the school to make their Servant stronger, they don't sound like a very nice person." She nodded.

Shirou inhaled sharply. "Sacrifice? Is this guy crazy? Who'd sacrifice people just for that?"

Tohsaka raised her voice, her tone angry at Shirou's lack of belief. "Think about it. There's a barrier around the entire school!" Shirou frowned, and she continued. "However, it doesn't seem to be complete yet..."

"...but once it's activated, everyone inside is done for," Michael finished. Shirou clenched his fist.

"No way am I gonna let that happen!" He had a determined look in his eye.

"I don't intend to look the other way either. I'll try to stop the barrier from activating," Tohsaka said. Michael nodded his agreement.

She continued. "That's why I was after school so late today." She looked to Michael. "I assume the same goes for you?"

Michael nodded again. "I've been hanging around lately as well, though I made sure to avoid you." She narrowed her eyes slightly. "It seems I was right to do so, given what happened when you stumbled across him today." He motioned towards Shirou.

She closed her eyes, again assuming that indignant look. "It's not my fault. I saw a careless Master without a Servant strutting down the hallway without a care in the world. I lost my temper and got distracted."

Shirou looked sheepish. "Sorry..."

Tohsaka took a sip of tea, then said, "Actually, I have a proposal." Her tone was considerably lighter, much more friendly than it had been a moment before. Both Shirou and MI heal looked at her, questioningly.

"Why don't we call a truce for the moment?"

Michael stayed silent. Shirou was a bit slow on the uptake. "A truce?"

"Right," she said. "We've all revealed ourselves as Masters to this enemy after today's events. This Master is obviously not to be trifled with, so I want to deal with them before I do anything about either of you, Emiya, Michael."

She paused for a moment, letting the words sink in. "So until this is settled, why don't we work together to defeat the Master at school?"

Shirou took a moment to respond. "You're right... I'd feel a lot better if I had you two on my side, and..."

"Stop it! This doesn't mean we're allies. This is just a temporary truce until we destroy the barrier that's been cast over the school." Tohsaka's tone was, again, angry.

Shirou smiled sadly. "So in this case, the enemy of my enemy is still my enemy?"

Michael laughed, and Tohsaka smiled, saying, "Right. Of course, I'll still help you so long as the truce is in effect. So long as neither of you betray me."

"Agreed. I'll do whatever I can as well... Though I guess I'll be out until I can heal this fully," Michael said.

Shirou stood. "Well, I guess I'll have to deal with that." He extended a hand towards each of them. "I'm looking forward to working with both of you."

Michael took the hand offered to him, shaking it. "The same to you." He nodded at Tohsaka.

She took the hand offered to her after a moment. "Well, it won't last long... But you'd both better make yourselves useful while it's there." Michael chuckled.

* * *

_Hey all! I'm really sorry about not getting an update through last week! I was having trouble with a certain scene, and didn't publish this chapter because of it. After some help, I ended up scrapping the scene entirely and re-writing half the chapter._

_As it is, this chapter is nearly 10,500 words long - and it's only half of what I have. So, I've decided to post this as is, as polish up the rest. Sorry if it feels cut off; next chapter, which will be up ASAP, will continue where we left off._

_I really cannot express enough how much I love the feedback you guys have given me! I love hearing that you all enjoy it so much! Thanks for the support!_

_What do you think so far? Will Michael and Assassin get to the bottom of the Templar plot? Will Tohsaka and Shirou band together with Michael after the truce is supposed to be over? Most importantly, will Michael ever get his hoodie back from Tohsaka? These, and more, questions will be answered in the next chapters!_

_I actually do have a question or two to answer this week, so here's our first Q&A Session!_

_**Q: Don't you think your kinda overpower Berserker just a little?**_

_A: Nope. All of Berserker's abilities are the ones he had in the original F/SN. After his duel with Archer, he wanted to hold off to regenerate those lives. Ilyasviel pretty much said, "Screw that!" and the two chased after Shirou, Saber, and Tohsaka._

_**Q: Michael seems to really like Rin. Assassin's gonna tease him about it; am I right?**_

_A: As you can see in this chapter, teasing Michael is one of Assassin's favorite pastimes. Tohsaka may or may not be a part of that in the future!_

_**Q: How did your OC invite the Wizard Marshal to his home?**_

_A: Michael's birthday wish was actually a part of that, he didn't consciously invite him. Zelretch likes to screw with things, just because he can, but he only "found" Michael because of the way that the wish happened. if it wasn't Michael, it would've been someone else._

_I look forward to hearing more of your thoughts, and keep an eye out for the next chapter, which will be published in the next few days!_


	5. Chapter 4 - Let It Go

_"'Tis best to weigh the enemy more mighty than he seems."_

_Dauphin, William Shakespeare's Henry V, Act 2, Scene 3_

* * *

The three recently joined allies, Shirou Emiya, Rin Tohsaka, and Michael Williams, sat around the living room of Tohsaka's lavish home. Tohsaka had been asking Shirou about his abilities, trying to get a feel for how useful he could be. She'd asked Michael some questions as well, but he hadn't answered much. Both of them were largely focused on Shirou.

At the moment, Shirou was explaining his past, his father's decision to train him (or not train him, as the case may have been). Shirou was adopted, so he didn't exactly have much going for him in the term of an old magus lineage like Michael and Tohsaka did.

"So," Tohsaka said. "In essence, you are not the 'real' successor of a magus."

"Right. My father died before he could pass on his family's magic crest to me... Although, to be honest, I'm not sure he had planned on passing it to me in the first place."

Shirou's tone was low, sad, but there were traces of happiness in it. He obviously loved his father, very much so.

"Dad wasn't keen on the idea of me becoming a magus, I think."

"Well, that explains why you're so terrible," Michael said. "How much do you really know?"

Shirou seemed kind of sheepish, but it was an unapologetic kind of look. "The only thing I'm really good at is reinforcement. Like today, I used the desk to -"

"Wait," Tohsaka said, holding up a hand. "Why are you telling us this?"

Shirou looked a bit confused. "'Why?'"

"This may be a truce, but it's a _temporary_ truce," she replied. "This doesn't change the fact that we're enemies." She was a bit angry. "A magus shouldn't reveal what they can use to their enemies."

Shirou smiled. "There's no point in hiding this from you two. And besides, Dad said that magecraft isn't something that should be hidden."

Tohsaka and Michael were surprised at the young man's declaration. "Seriously?" Michael said.

"Wait... He really said that?" Tohsaka asked.

"Yeah," Shirou answered. He said it as-a-matter-of-factly. "I think he was trying to say that I shouldn't be kept tied down by the rules. He even said I could stop practicing if I ever felt like it."

Tohsaka leapt to her feet. Michael could clearly see that Shirou was making her angry, very much so.

"Stop this facade at once!" Shirou tried to speak, but she interrupted him. "Your father was no magus - and neither is someone like you!"

He was a bit taken aback by her tone and words. "What're you talking about. Of course I can't call myself a magus, but -"

"That's not the point!" She exclaimed. She crossed her arms across her chest and looked away from him. "I can't forgive..."

She trailed off, her face going soft after a moment. "I'm sorry. I lost my temper for a moment."

Michael leaned forward, saying, "Let me explain, Tohsaka." She sat down, and he looked to Shirou. "You see, your magecraft doesn't just belong to you. It's the culmination of your entire family's history, passed down through the ages." He leaned back against the couch. "If your father didn't pass his to you... He effectively let his family line die out. It's the equivalent of saying that his ancestors didn't accomplish anything."

Tohsaka nodded. She seemed a bit calmer now. "It's a magus' duty to pass their magecraft to their children. But your father... He abandoned that duty. No magus can condone that sort of act." She grew more agitated. "Your father chose being a parent over being a magus."

Michael shook his head. "He doesn't really get it. I don't think he can."

"Sorry, he's right, Shirou," she agreed. "Talking about this isn't going to change anything."

Shirou stood. "No, it's fine, you don't need to apologize."

At that moment, the grandfather clock rang, rather loudly. All three of them looked at it. According to that, it was 8 o'clock.

"Well, I'd better get going," he said. "Saber, Sakura, and Taiga are probably worried."

"Alright then. We'll all exchange information regarding this Master that we come across from now on. We'll meet at noon on the school rooftop." Her tone left no room for discussion.

"Okay then, you can count on me," Shirou said. Michael nodded his agreement.

With a word, Tohsaka summoned her Servant. He materialized behind her, looking coldly at Shirou. "We will be... Associates for a while. Escort Emiya on his way home. Do not attack him."

"Yes. I know." His words were cold, emotionless. He didn't take his eyes of Shirou.

Michael stood to leave as well, watching as Shirou and Archer left. He bowed to Tohsaka.

"Thank you for both the medical treatment, and the hospitality," he said. "If I may, I shall take my leave as well." Tohsaka regarded him for a moment, then nodded.

She saw him out the door. "Meet me at Emiya's home tomorrow morning. We'll discuss more on the way to school."

He nodded, offering a wave as he walked away. She just closed the door, and he sighed.

Taking a deep breath, he thought, _'Well, it wasn't easy, but it's done.'_ With that in mind, he headed home for the night.

* * *

Michael awoke the next morning early. He took a shower, then got dressed, making some breakfast before checking the news for the morning. More news on museum break ins, as well as some coverage on officer workers being found unconscious.

Michael left his house a bit earlier than usual, as per Tohsaka's orders. _'God, she's a bossy woman,'_ he thought.

He stumbled across the young woman in question on his way to Shirou's home. He greeted her, jogging to catch up to her side, and she greeted him politely in response. They walked together to Shirou's home, neither really making any conversation. They passed a few other students, some of whom stared at them, but the streets were largely empty.

They came to Shioru's estate. Walking through the front gate, they approached the door. As Michael reached out to open it, the door opened to reveal Saber.

She was evidently surprised. "Rin? Michael?" Sakura and Shirou also uttered surprised sounds.

Tohsaka smiled. "I knew something like this would happen."

Shirou was clearly exasperated. "Why are you two here? I don't even know what's happening around here..."

Sakura spoke, softly. She seemed worried. "Tohsaka... Michael... Why are you...?"

Michael noted a brief cloud pass over Tohsaka's face, and she muttered something. It passed quickly though, and she hurriedly answered Sakura's question.

Putting a hand on her hip, she said, "Well, we've decided to walk to school with Emiya starting today." She walked forward, into the house, and Michael followed. "You didn't hear?"

Sakura looked to Shirou for an explanation - and the poor guy was obviously flustered. "Oh. Well, um... That's right! I forgot to tell you guys!" He smiled.

_'Wow, he's a terrible liar,"_ Michael thought. It seemed Sakura didn't believe him either. She was sad, her eyes on the ground. "I... See..."

Noticing that, Shirou began talking fast, trying to make her feel better. "Well, it's just, you know! I think it'll be more fun with the 4 of us!"

He was interrupted by Saber, who was already out the door, trying to usher him out. Shirou began freaking, trying to find a way out of his predicament.

"Wait a minute, Saber!" he gasped. "One step at a time!"

"I'm going ahead..." Sakura said quietly. She ran out of the home, not looking at any of the others. Shirou chased after her for a few steps.

Michael felt bad - and if anything, he could tell Tohsaka did as well. Sakura sounded hurt. Shaking his head sadly, Michael turned his attention to Saber.

Now _she_ was a woman he did _not_ want to anger. He had a feeling things could turn very bad, very fast. Her patience was growing quite thin.

Tohsaka uttered a small _tsk_ sound. "You should've guessed that this would've happened the second you arrived home last night." She walked towards Saber, pushing her hair back and eyeing Shirou. "Consider things more carefully."

Shirou looked more and more confused. Michael put a hand on his shoulder, comforting him. "If it helps you feel any better," he said, grinning. "I've no idea why I'm here either."

Shirou sighed. Tohsaka and Saber has a brief conversation, before Saber finally relented and went back into the house. She warily eyes both Tohsaka and Michael before she closed the door behind her.

With that, the three of them headed out to school. It was quiet for a few minutes before any of them said anything.

"I didn't think Saber would back down like that," Shirou said.

"It's quite easy," Tohsaka replied. "Her objectives are clear." She smiled, obviously enjoying herself. "You just need to get her to see what the good and bad ways to get to that objective are."

Shirou was quiet. "But..." His voice trailed off, obviously deep in thought.

Michael understood. Tohsaka had quite the way with words. The conversation continued.

"If Saber isn't around, enemies are going to be much more likely to stay away from you." Shirou stopped walking, but Tohsaka continued on, Michael at her side. "It'll make them feel uneasy, feel that it just might be a trap. Right?"

"Yeah," he said. He began walking again, muttering, "Tohsaka, you're scary..."

"Yes. Yes she is," Michael agreed.

She continued walking, smiling all the while.

The three of them eventually came to the school. They got stares as they walked; apparently, it was odd for people to be seen with Tohsaka. _'Well,'_ Michael thought. '_Considering the attitude she usually gives off, I'm sure it's enough to make them stare regardless.'_

As the trio reached the threshold of the school grounds, Shirou suddenly stopped. He clutched at his heart, appearing to be in pain.

Michael patted him on the back. "Hey, Shirou, you all right, dude?"

"That...," Shirou responded. "That feeling..."

Michael and Tohsaka exchanged looks.

"Sometimes... When I pass the gate, I get this... This 'feeling,' like I'm choking or just sick." He grimaced. "It makes my mouth taste odd and sweet..."

Michael looked to Tohsaka, murmuring quietly, "It looks like the barrier is getting stronger. He's got it pretty bad."

She nodded. "If it's this bad, I don't think it would be longer than another 2 or 3 days before the barrier activates. We need to put a stop to it before then."

Shirou stood, shakily. "Two or three days!?" He put a hand on the wall, supporting himself for a moment.

"Quiet down, you idiot!" Tohsaka berated him. "I just said, 'We need to stop it before then.' So long as we do, nothing will happen."

At that moment, Issei stopped by. "Hey, Shirou - WHA!" He stopped mid sentence, noticing both Tohsaka and Michael.

Tohsaka turned, glaring at him. "That's not a polite way to greet people."

He ignored her response, pointing and yelling, "Emiya! Michael! Why are you with her!?"

Michael grunted. "It's a bit difficult to explain, but other than that... It's not polite to point either."

Issei struggled for a moment to visibly compose himself, then took a few steps forward. He fixed his glasses, then said, in a deadly serious tone, "It's no wonder I had a dark feeling when I awoke this morning. I was not expecting it to be Ankensatsu, however..."

He roughly grabbed both their shoulders. Confused, Shirou and Michael glanced at each other. Issei continued rambling, oblivious to their reactions. "Just get away from her! You'll be poisoned by her evil!"

Michael shrugged out of Issei's grip. "C'mon, Issei, she really isn't all that bad." Shirou nodded his consent, but Issei ignored both of them, glaring and not taking his eyes off Tohsaka. It was like he was watching a deadly animal, seeking out any dangerous movements before they happened.

Tohsaka sighed. She looked annoyed. "Well, it looks like we're done here." She walked closer, and whispered to both Michael and Shirou, "I'll see you two on the rooftop at noon. Don't be late." With that, she disappeared into the school's gathering students, the crowd hiding her from view.

Michael turned to Issei. "That was a bit rude, don't you think, Issei?" He crossed his arms over his chest. "I get that you've got your own ways, but really, Tohsaka isnt as bad as you make her out to be."

Issei closed his eyes, assuming that same serious tone he had before. "Trust me, Williams. You don't want to get involved with her. She's a terrible, terrible woman."

The three of them walked to class together, the topic moving away from her quickly, to other subjects such as home works, tests, and anything that needed fixing. Michael felt a bit out of place; Issei and Shirou were obviously good friends, and Michael didn't really talk to either. He knew Issei fairly well, but that was only because they were both on the student council.

The bell rang soon after they entered the classroom, though it didn't start immediately, as Taiga was late, once again. The day started and Michael drifted through it, awaiting the lunchtime meeting.

* * *

The bell finally rang, and Michael packed his things up and began to head for the door. He noticed Issei making a line for Shirou, so he called back, "Hey Shirou, c'mon! Don't be late!" Shirou nodded and he headed out the door, hearing Issei's shouts echo out behind him.

Michael walked down the hallway to the stairwell that led to the rooftop. He passed his usual lunchroom, stopping in to say hello to his friends and explain he'd be having lunch elsewhere today. Of course, Kaito, Yamato, and Miyu had immediately gone suspicious.

"You're not meeting someone, are you?" Yamato put his arm around Michael's shoulders.

"N-No! Of course not!" Michael lied. _'If they hear I'm meeting someone like Tohsaka, I'll never hear the end of it!'_ He tried to remain calm.

"Oh really now?" Kaito's doubt was clearly evident in his voice. "Hey Miyu, didn't you hear something today?"

She smiled. "Of course! Some people in class said that you were with Tohsaka Rin this morning Michael!" She smiled mischievously. "I wouldn't be surprised if she was who you are going to meet."

Kaito's and Yamato's jaws dropped to the floor. "T... Tohsaka?" They leapt on top of him, pinning him to the floor. "You can't be serious! You have a lunch date with _Tohsaka_!?"

Yamato hit him. "You bastard! Why didn't you tell us!?"

Michael threw them off him, standing up and brushing his clothes smooth. "Because, it's _not_ a date. Besides, who said I'm even meeting her? It could be someone else completely." He crossed his arms.

Miyu rolled her eyes. "Michael, we all know you're a terrible liar." She smiled, then pulled him closer, whispering advice.

It was Michael's turn to roll his eyes. "I told you guys, it's not like that." He glanced at the clock. "Besides, if I don't leave now, I'll be late for... Whomever I'm meeting." He strolled out of the room.

Kaito threw a paper ball after him. "Yeah, sure. Make sure you tell us how it goes!"

Michael really hated them sometimes.

He jogged a little to make up for lost time. He opened the door to the rooftop. The sun greeted him, shining brightly. Tohsaka stood on the opposite side of the roof, leaning against the fence. Her arms were crossed and her eyes were closed.

Michael walked over, saying a polite greeting. She responded politely as well.

He sat down, taking out some medical supplies from his suitcase. Michael took his left bracer off, examining the bandages. It was about time to change them.

He glanced at Tohsaka. She had one eye open, observing him. He shrugged slightly and went back to what he was doing.

Flexing his right forearm slightly, his hidden blade on his right arm came out, the mechanism activating with a slight _pop_ and a _shing_ as the blade grinned on the metal inside. Carefully, he cut the old bandages off. He examined his wound; it was much better than it originally had been, thanks to both his and Tohsaka's healing. It'd be much better in a few days.

Michael took a few moments to concentrate, then placed his right hand over the injury. He spoke a few words, and soft, gold light emanated from his palm, making his arm underneath glow slightly. It stopped after a few moments, and he breathed slightly. Spells like that were somewhat draining.

He cleaned the wound again, with antiseptic, and wrapped it in a new bandage. He wiggled his fingers, moving his hand through it's full range of motion to make sure it was healing all right. He was able to do so, but there was slight pain in some of them. Michael placed the bracer on again, securing it.

"Where'd you learn to do that?" she asked. Michael looked up at her.

"What do you mean?" he responded.

"I've never seen anyone dress and treat a wound like that before." She looked at him, oddly.

_'Oh, right...'_ he thought. He'd done it all one-handed, using his teeth to help do the finishing touches on the bandage.

Before he could respond, she asked another question. "And what's with those bracers, anyways? They're awfully weird."

He threw his hands in the air. "I'd answer if you let me talk! Geez!" He sighed and she glared at him. After a moment, he said, "I've been living on my own for a while now. I've had to learn to do things like that. If I get hurt, and it's not something that requires me to be hospitalized, I would need to take care of it myself."

She nodded slowly. "But what about those?" she said, pointing at his forearms.

"These are... Well, these are just stuff passed down from my family." He shrugged. "It's an old, traditional thing. I'm sure you understand."

She looked at him. He wasn't sure if she believed him or not. "Hmph... Well, Shirou is late." Without another word, she walked off, apparently intending to find him. Michael shook his head. She certainly was something else.

He caught up to her a few minutes later. They walked down the stairwell, looking around. People eyed them again.

"This sure is weird," Michael mumbled. "I never get looked at this much when I'm by myself."

"Just ignore them," Tohsaka answered. "They're of no concern to us right now."

She glared at him out of the corner of her eyes. He quickly apologized, shrugging.

"Anyways, this is bad. Apparently, there's a rumor going around," he continued.

She stopped walking. "What rumor?"

Michael turned around a few steps ahead. "What, you haven't heard?" He chuckled. "A few people have said they've seen us walking and talking together."

Tohsaka was indignant. "So? That means nothing?"

Michael grinned mischievously. "Not according to everyone else." He began walking again. "The rumors say we're dating, by the way."

She glared at him, crossing her arms across her chest. Michael saw her blush. "We are NOT dating." Her voice was harsh, cross with him. "Besides, I would never date someone like you anyways." She thought for a moment. "You're far too tall, for one."

Michael shrugged. _'Two can play at that game,_' he thought. He responded, laughing. "Maybe you're just too short." He walked outside. "Hey, there's Shirou! Let's go say hello." He looked back.

Her face was red. She was angry. _'Mission accomplished!' _he thought.

He bowed, gesturing towards the door. She stalked out towards Shirou, who was saying goodbye to Sakura. It seemed he'd been caught up talking to her. Shirou sat back down on the bench, and Tohsaka and Michael walked over to him.

He turned a moment later, jumping when he noticed them. Tohsaka was sitting on the bench next to him, her eyes closed and arms crossed. She was definitely mad, thought Michael wasn't sure which of the two young men she was more angry with.

"I _did_ say the rooftop at noon, yes Michael?"

_'Yep,'_ he thought. _'Definitely angry.'_

"Yes you did, m'lady." He looked to Shirou, shrugging apologetically. She eyed him, obviously noting the sarcasm.

Shirou stuttered over his words. "I... Uh..."

She continued. "Tell me you didn't forget, I dare you."

Shirou panicked for a moment. "No, I didn't forget, I... I just met Sakura, in the hallway."

Tohsaka jumped a bit when she heard him mention the name. "Sakura?" she mumbled.

Shirou nodded. "You know how bad things went this morning. She didn't take things very well, so I had to explain everything to her."

She stood without a word and walked off. Michael followed, and Shirou did a moment later.

* * *

The trio stood on the roof a few minutes later. Michael sat on the ground with his back to the fence, cleaning his nails with a knife. Tohsaka was leaning against the fence and Shirou stood, looking out across the courtyard.

Tohsaka spoke first. It was clear that she thought of herself as the leader of the three.

"We should deal with the biggest issue first." Her eyes softened. "The school was informed earlier that the police found Ayako." Shirou's eyes widened. "I thought you might've known already, Michael, but I would think Shirou would not."

Michael nodded. As he was on the student council, as the secretary, news like this often reached his ears before most others. It was no surprise Tohsaka knew as well; she was the school's prized student, after all.

Mitsuduri Ayako was the captain of the archery dojo, and, if Michael remembered correctly, a friend of Tohsaka's and Shirou's. Michael knew her somewhat, as they were both among the school' stop athletes. She, along with Shinji, had disappeared a few days ago.

Shirou appeared worried. "Is she all right?!"

"Yeah," Michael said. "She's alive, but..."

"What?" he said. "What do you mean by 'but'?"

Tohsaka answered. "They diagnosed her with having 'shock' in the hospital, but... It's more likely -"

"A Servant!" Shirou interrupted. Both Michael and Tohsaka nodded.

"A Master probably ordered their Servant to assault her," Michael said.

"And once this barrier is completed and activated, it'll do much the same thing to everyone within the range. Everyone will have their life force drained," Tohsaka went on.

"What does it mean?" Shirou asked.

"It's a disgusting and horrible way to make one's Servant gain a very large power boost, very fast," Michael answered.

"And that Servant is the one we fought yesterday?" Shirou asked.

"I don't have anyway to confirm it, but..." She paused, just for a moment. "From what Michael said, it seems like the most likely candidate is Rider."

Michael nodded. "She was horribly weak, all things considered." He held up his arm for a moment. "For starters, this would've been much worse had it been, say, Archer or Saber who'd attacked us. And, well, there aren't many candidates anyways. I have Assassin, you two have Saber and Archer. We already know what Berserker and Lancer look like. That leaves Caster and Rider, and a Caster wouldn't fight like that."

Tohsaka Agreed. "It seems like Rider is the only real option."

The three went quiet for a few moments. Shirou stared at his feet, lost in thought. Michael could tell what he was thinking.

"Shirou, I've already told her."

He looked at at Michael. "Told her what?"

Michael sighed. "When you were unconscious yesterday, Tohsaka and I had a quick chat. I heard you mention something about Shinji... I'm sorry, I couldn't hold that from her." He shrugged. "Besides, the sooner we can stop whoever it is, Shinji or not, the better."

Tohsaka smiled. "At least we have a lead. We just need to find him."

Michael grinned. "Leave _that_ to myself and Assassin."

Shirou visibly shuddered a bit at that. Michael wondered why.

Tohsaka continued. "Anyways... All we have to do until we find him... Or whoever this Master is... Is delay the activation of the barrier."

"How do we do that?" Shirou asked.

"It's easy as pie," Michael answered. "This barrier is extremely high level thaumaturgy created by a Servant, so us outright destroying it is pretty much impossible..."

"...but what we can do is destroy the sigils and delay it's activation." Tohsaka finished.

"Sigils?" Shirou asked again._ 'Man, this guy really doesn't know anything,'_ Michael thought.

Michael drew a diagram on the ground. "Here, look," he said, pointing here and there as he explained. "Sigils are created periodically after a barrier like this is created, and spread will create another, and another, and so on and so forth, until the barrier is large and strong, and all the targets are trapped within it." His face grew grim. "At that point, it'll activate - and everyone who is inside it will be pretty much sucked dry."

"What we _can_ do is destroy these sigils. If we do that, then we can temporarily weaken the barrier. They'll be replaced of course, but it's the best we can do until we track the Master down." Tohsaka finished.

"I... See..." Shirou said. He looked like he understood a little bit more of it. "What should I do? You two will be destroying the sigils, right?"

Tohsaka smiled. "You can help us look for them." She thought for a moment. "In simpler terms, just look for places that are like what you felt this morning, at the gate. Where you don't feel well, where it doesn't feel right, that sort of thing."

"Oh," he replied. He then pointed to a spot near his feet. "So like right here?"

She pouted, then walked over. "If it were that easy, we wouldn't need to work so hard. Even for me, when I concentrate and - " She knelt down, obviously disbelieving - but her eyes widened as she confirmed that, yes indeed, there was a sigil right where Shirou had pointed!

A bright light flashed through the aera, and waves of power rolled, tossing their clothes and hair slightly. Tohsaka uttered some words, and sparks danced briefly, before the sigil shattered.

"Interesting," Michael said. "Maybe it was just beginner's luck?"

"Maybe. Maybe not," she replied. "It's possible he has a talent for finding this sort of thing." She stood. "Both of you, stay after school. We can take care of the rest later."

Shiroj stuttered. "But, S-Saber said -"

Michael put an arm around his shoulder. "C'mon man, you've got both myself and Tohsaka here, as well as our Servants. We'll be fine!"

"Your Servants are here too!" He glanced around.

Michael pointed behind him. "Right here. He's in spiritual form. Archer is too."

"Ah, got it..." He said. His face got that look again, where he was thinking of something important.

"Whats wrong?" Tohsaka asked. He smiled, then walked to the fence.

"Nothing... I just thought both of you are doing an really good job." He turned around. "Well, anyways, I've gotta get back to class. I'll see you two later!" He ran off.

Michael turned to Tohsaka. "I'll try to find Shinji as fast as possible." She nodded. "Now, on to more important things..."

"Hmmm...?" She looked at his quizzically.

Michael held out an arm in a gentlemanly gesture. "M'lady, shall I escort thee back to your classroom?" He bowed slightly...

... And began to scratch his head where she'd kicked him. "Well that was rude," Michael said.

She didn't respond. Michael watched her walk off, listening to Assassin's soft chuckles.

* * *

The three met up on the rooftop again after school. Michael dragged Shirou behind him as he left the classroom for the day; he didn't want to deal with Tohsaka again. Not after lunch.

Michael and Shirou reached the rooftop before Tohsaka, so Michael decided to check his bandage again. He sat in the same position as before, going through the same procedure. Things like that were sort of second-nature, having done it multiple times before.

Shirou marveled at the speed and dexterity he was able to heal, clean, and re-dress his own wound, even with only using one arm. "How're you so good at that, Michael?"

Michael just smiled. "When you love completely alone, you need to take care of yourself sometimes." He didn't want to reveal his identity as an assassin, not just yet.

Tohsaka finally appeared when he was almost done with the process. After that, he stood, greeting her politely. She ignored him, and asked Shirou if he was ready.

_'Wow, she must still be mad about earlier,'_ he thought. He absently scratched his head, where shed hit him. As the two others turned to leave and began searching, he said, "Wait just a second."

They turned to see what he meant. Michael turned towards the gate, summoning Assassin into his physical form. Assassin appeared in front of him, garbed in his assassin robes, leaning against the fence.

"What?" He asked. His hood was down, and he looked bored.

"I want you to see if you can find Shinji Matou for us," Michael answered.

Assassin saluted him, then faded from view. Michael turned to Tohsaka and Shirou. "Alright, let's go. I'll tell you if he finds anything."

The trio headed back downstairs, Shirou in the lead. They investigated most rooms, and Michael and Tohsaka took turns getting rid of the sigils. As expected, they were all over the place. Classrooms, hallways, floors, ceilings, walls. One was even in the furnace.

The ones outside were fun to get. Michael scaled the side of the school, largely through the use of his hookblade, since his left arm still hurt a bit, and did those himself. Tohsaka was concerned at first, thinking that he'd fall and kill himself. He'd just smiled and said, "Watch."

Rudely, she'd called him a "show-off" when he'd gotten down. _'Oh well,'_ he thought. _'I'll get her back eventually.'_

Shirou even found one _within_ the ceiling of a classroom. Rather than forcing Tohsaka to find a ladder, since it was her turn, Michael just climbed up himself and did it. He got her back for it later though; the second of the next two Shirou found was in the boys' bathroom.

The look on her face was priceless. Revenge is sweet, after all.

Eventually, they'd found enough that Tohsaka decided they were done for the day (or she was, Michael wasn't sure if that changed anything though).

They stood on the roof again, drinking some tea that Shirou had bought (Tohsaka, of course, had complained about the type he'd gotten).

"You're pretty thoughtful, even if you don't seem like it."

Shirou smiled, retorting with, "Praise is supposed to sound nice."

Michael laughed out loud at that. "I'm not sure she knows the meaning of that word, my friend." She ignored him.

"Well," she said. "This should be enough for one day. The Master likely didn't think this many would get destroyed."

Michael nodded. "Even if I can't find Shinji - or it's not him," he said, noting the look on Shirou's face. " - he'll probably do something. Maybe attack some random person or something." He shrugged.

Tohsaka smiled at his words and muttered something he couldn't hear. Shirou, though, cringed a bit. He was closer, so he'd likely heard.

"Tohsaka, that smiled of yours really scares me." She laughed lightly at that.

Michael grinned. "It's like you said this morning, Shirou." When he turned questioningly, he added, "'Tohsaka, you sure are scary.' And that might just be our biggest weapon."

This time she turned to look at him as well. "What do you mean by that."

Michael took a long drink before replying. "Well, I'd probably run for the hills too, if I saw you coming after me. You can be quite dangerous when you want to be, I think." He chuckled.

Whatever she was going to say was lost as a sudden breeze picked up. Instead, she yelped, then insulted him; apparently, he could now control the weather (well, he could, to an extent, but that was besides the point).

"You idiot! The wind picked up because you said something strange!"

Michael sighed. "I swear it wasn't me!" He whispered a small incantation, the made a slight gesture towards her. Another sudden breeze came out, this time from the opposite direction. She had the same reaction and he laughed.

When she turned to glare at him, he shrugged. "That might've been me., however."

The group grew quiet, simply drinking, having an enjoyable time in each others' presence.

Shirou was the first to speak, after a few moments. "You know," he said, and the others turned to look. He leaned against the fence. "I never thought our school's idol would be so... indecent. Using foul language and all that. Guess we're all fools, eh?"

Michael nodded. "It might be just like Issei said, Shirou. We'd better watch out."

She just smiled. "It's not my fault. It's yours for letting yourselves be fooled in the first place." She leaned against the fence and continued. "It's a magus' responsibility to hide their true identity."

"Besides, I have to be the image of the model student. I'm the successor to the Tohsaka family." She seemed sad. Michael could guess why; both her parents were dead.

"Why's that a big deal?" Shirou asked.

She looked at him crossly. Michael answered before she could.

"Her family used to own the land that came to be known as 'Fuyuki City,' although I guess not many know that anymore."

She looked at him, her expression odd. "How do you know that? Very few do..."

He shrugged. "An old, family friend told me once." It wasn't a lie; Zelretch _was_ something of the sort. Or maybe not. He was Zelretch, after all.

Shirou had been looking at Tohsaka this whole time, studying her facial expressions. "Why're you so off suddenly, Tohsaka? Just now, you seemed down about something?"

"Oh." She assumed that strange, sad face for just a moment. "I was thinking of... Nothing." She looked to Michael, apparently seeking to change the subject.

"So, where are you from, Michael? You're obviously a foreigner."

He shrugged. "I'm just the heir of an old Italian family." He lay down, staring at the sky. "Hmm... That's right. You two don't know I'm Italian, huh?"

They shook their heads. He continued. "Well, I guess that's sort of a half-truth. I was born in America, but I was mostly raised in Italy. It's... It's a long story." Noting Shirou's expression, he added, "One I'd rather not share."

Tohsaka nodded, although Shirou appeared saddened by his statement. "Your parents are dead too, huh?"

Tohsaka nodded again, and Michael said, "Yeah..."

The group went quiet, each reflecting. Thinking.

Michael spoke up next. "Are both of your parents dead as well?"

Shirou nodded, as did Tohsaka, although she did so absentmindedly. He continued. "Shirou... I was speaking to you, Tohsaka."

"Uh... Sorry?" She appeared slightly addled, as if she hadn't heard his question. Her face went shadowed for a moment, before she answered. "Yes. They died when I was little, of natural causes." She spoke quickly. "I'm not saddened or anything. Because we're magi. I'm sure you know how it is."

Michael shook his head. Shirou spoke.

"You're a liar." When she didn't answer, he said, "We all feel sad when someone passes away. Especially if that person is special to you." He took a drink. His hand was tightly clutching the metal can. "Don't try to blow things away by using the word 'magus.' It's an insult."

Both of the others were quiet for a moment. Tohsaka sighed. "You're right... So right I can't argue against it."

All three were quiet from then on, as it grew steadily darker.

* * *

The three of them headed out of the school. By this point, the sky was completely dark and night had fully set in. Each carried their things.

At the gate, Shirou headed north, and Michael and Tohsaka headed south. Michael's house was north, as well; in fact, it was quite a ways away from the school, farther than even Shirou's. He'd explained it simply.

"I told Assassin I'd meet him near Shinji's home. I told you I'd do my best to find him, after all." They nodded.

Tohsaka and Michael waved good-bye to Shirou as they departed. "Good-bye, Shirou!" She said. "Head straight home, or you'll make Saber really mad!"

"Yeah," Michael agreed. "Remember, the easiest way to live is to keep your girl happy!" Shirou had blushed at that.

"She's not my girlfriend, she's just my Servant!"

Michael chuckled, "I know, haha! I was making a joke!"

With that, they'd turned and left. Michael expected that this would be the night that Shirou turned and went to the dojo, finding both Shinji, Rider, and that huge sigil. He'd leave that alone for now; Shinji and Rider would be dealt with later.

Michael and Tohsaka walked down the street. It was dark, but not too much so. The sky was clear, and the moon and stars shown bright. Mochael thought, _'It's certainly a beautiful night. Wish I had time to enjoy it.'_

Apparently, she could read minds too. "It's a nice night out," Tohsaka said.

Michael looked at her. "Yeah... You know," he paused. "You really are completely different from who you want to be. You're a lot nicer than I thought. I meant what I said to Issei this morning."

She didn't reply. He turned to leave, the turn he needed approaching. "Alright then, I'll see you later." He waved and walked off.

She called his name after a few steps.

"Michael!" He turned around, an inquisitive look on his face. "Don't die on me!"

Michael smiled. "What, is this the part where you say, 'I can't live without you'?"

He thought he saw her blush for a moment... But she was definitely angry. "No! I definitely do **not** like buffoons like you!" She continued more quietly. "I'm not worried about you at all, anyways! We're partners, and if you die without telling me, my plans will be ruined. I just need someone more competent than Shirou, is all."

He grinned. "Is that an actual complement?" he asked.

She frowned in return. "No. Definitely not for someone like you." With that, she turned and walked off, a bit quickly. He shouted, "Wait, I thought we'd be enemies when this was over?"

Either she didn't hear him or didn't deign to reply.

Michael watched her disappear into the night, then turned... Only to walk into Assassin.

Michael stopped, noting the sly grin on his Servant's face. "What?"

Assassin rubbed his chin, then wiped an imaginary tear from his eye. "They... They grow up so fast."

Michael rolled his eyes. "Come on. We're going home."

"I thought we were looking for Shinji?" Assassin asked.

Michael shook his head. "I know he's likely not here. Did you find any clues?"

Assassin shook his head this time. "None. Although, it looked like his sister was to leave soon. She was hurrying with whatever she was doing.

"Alright then, we gotta be fast. Tohsaka wants me to meet her at Shirou's house."

Assassin looked confused. "May I ask why?"

Michael shrugged. "She said something or other about it being easier for us to be in one place. Not sure, wasn't really paying attention."

Assassin laughed. "Then how do you know?"

Michael gave him a stern look. "Trust me, I do _not_ want to make that woman mad." He started running home, using Reinforcement magecraft periodically to push his body to it's limit.

He was home within ten minutes. He vaulted through the door, not bothering to take off his shoes (Luckily, they weren't muddy). He grabbed three bags, then told Assassin to help him pack.

"Pack clothes in this one, and put my robes and gear at the bottom of the big duffel bag. Pack books on top of that and whatever else looks good." He thought for a moment. "Make sure they're all books on Magecraft, I still need to learn a few things. If there's room, pack your casual clothes and any books you want." He headed out to the living room.

Assassin had an amused look. "What, you're going to leave without helping?"

Michael have him a serious look. "I am _not_ going to live somewhere where they don't know how to make good italian cuisine. I'm packing the essentials, my friend."

Assassins face and voice also grew serious. He enjoyed Michael's cooking, and although he liked Japanese food, he preferred Italian as well.

They got started. Within 20 minutes, both were done. Assassin carried the two heavier packs, and Michael had the lighter one, as well as his school briefcase. In the first bag, the one Michael had, were various spices and foodstuffs, as well as some clothes to cushion them. Michael's briefcase also contained various medical supplies.

Assassin carried a large backpack which held the rest of Michael's and his clothes. The duffel bag had Michael's robes and other gear in it, with some extra daggers and other instruments for their outings, as well as some books magical theory, lore, and instructions.

It wasn't much, but Michael figured he could always come back here if he needed anything. With that, they locked the door and headed out.

* * *

Michael walked quickly and quietly to Shirou's home. When he arrived, Tohsaka answered him at the door.

He came in, taking off his shoes. "Where are Shirou and Saber?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. Saber was here when I arrived, but she has since disappeared. Shirou... Was never here."

Michael's eyes narrowed. "You don't think..."

She shook her head. "I'm not sure. It's possible, but we won't know for sure until they come back - if they do."

Michael sighed. "In the meantime, let's go wait in the living room." He let his shoulders sag. "These bags are heavy."

They entered the living room and Michael set his bags down. He had Assassin do the same and go outside to watch for Shirou and Saber.

Tohsaka examined his bags. "What'd you bring anyways?" She opened one of them, looking inside and taking out some of the contents.

Michael started freaking out. "H-Hey! What're you doing!?"

"Oh relax, I'm just looking," she chided. She pulled out a pair of his jeans. "Jeez, all your clothes are so dull. They're all black and white."

Michael sighed. "You really are something else... Didn't anyone ever teach you it's impolite to go through someone's things?"

Exasperated, he turned and began to put his spices and cooking supplies in the kitchen. Tohsaka came over to watch. "What are these?" She picked up a few spices. "Did you bring over your entire kitchen?"

Mochael grabbed the spices out of her hands. "Hey, watch it! Those are expensive herbs, homegrown on my family's property in Italy." She picked up more. He sighed.

Examining them, she asked, "Why'd you even bring them? I'm sure Shirou has everything we need here."

Assassin, now clad in his casual clothes, poked his head in from the hallway. His tone and face serious, he said, "I am _not_ living for any length of time without his cooking. Makes me feel like I'm back in Italy."

Michael threw a towel at him. "Didn't I tell you to go watch for Shirou and Saber?"

Assassin caught it and threw it back. "Excuse me for wanting to be comfortable." He left afterwards, his laughter echoing through the house.

Tohsaka began giggling slightly. Michael narrowed his eyes. "You keep laughing, you won't have any of this." His voice was low, his tone and face deadly serious.

She smiled as she turned to turn the stove on, presumably for some tea. "Fine then. I bet it's not even good anyway."

Michael pointed a wooden spoon at her. "You'll eat those words later, trust me." He turned to put an apron on, and Tohsaka walked to the living room, laughing quietly.

About an half an hour later, Michael had finally decided on what to make. He'd brought certain ingredients with him, ones he didn't expect Shirou to have, and made Assassin run out to get others ("I don't care where! Just make sure they're quality ingredients!").

Halfway through his cooking, Shirou and Saber arrived. Saber was unharmed, though she was in her armor. Shirou had a cut on his forehead. Saber didn't say anything, although she looked extremely angry, but Shirou's first words alarmed both of them: "You two are here? Good. We have a problem."

* * *

Later, everyone, aside from Michael, was seated at the table, drinking tea, eating snacks Michael had quickly baked, and smelling the food that Michael was cooking.

"In any case," Tohsaka said. "What did you mean, 'we have a problem?'"

Shirou looked at his cup. "We found Shinji and Rider. You two were right; he was her Master."

Michael nodded. Tohsaka asked, "Tell me exactly what happened."

Shirou explained everything as clearly as he could. After the three left, he had a strong feeling, stronger than he'd had before. Since Michael and Tohsaka had already left, he went to investigate it himself.

Inside the archery dojo, he found it: a gigantic sigil. Shinji had startled him, and talked for a few moments, explaining some things. Then, he'd ordered Rider to attack Shirou after he found out Shirou had allied himself with Tohsaka and Michael. In response, he'd summoned Saber.

Thereafter, Saber and Rider began to have a battle. Eventually, Saber drove Rider off, and they'd chased after Rider and Shinji, eventually coming to the street that Shinji's house was on. The houses were far from each other, so it wasn't likely they'd be seen.

Saber and Rider had continued to fight, and it was easily a one-sided match. Saber beat Rider repeatedly, and Shinji continually ordered her to get up and protect him. He abused her, kicking her over and over again. Shirou punched him himself, but that just made Shinji do it more.

After that, Shinji's grandfather, Zouken Matou, arrived. He'd insulted Shinji, calling him a failure, and Shinji fled. Zouken apparently had a small chat with Shirou, mostly asking him about the War, and telling him that there was a Master on the top of the mountain, at Ryuudou Temple.

Saber injected here and there when she could fit something in that Shirou missed.

After Shirou was done, the group was quiet aside from the occasional _clink_ of utensils and plates being set, as well as water running from Michael washing dishes.

"A Master at Ryuudou Temple?" Tohsaka asked.

Shirou nodded. "Shinji's grandfather said she's a witch that's been collecting spirits. She might be behind everything that's been happening lately."

"That makes sense," Michael said. "If Caster is up there, it's logical that they'd be behind all the crap that's been happening downtown."

"How trustworthy is this Zouken Matou?" Saber asked.

Shirou shook his head and shrugged. "I don't know. This was the first time I've met him. Judging by what he did with Shinji though..." He shrugged again. "I'm not sure."

He thought for a moment. "Issei did mention something earlier about a woman who was living at the temple temporarily. That sounds like too much of a coincidence."

Tohsaka had a thoughtful look on her face, her head cupped on her hands. "I knew that the Matou family was essentially gone, but if they do have books of sorcery, it's possible one of them could become a Master."

"In any case, " Michael said. "We now have one problem exchanged for another. If Rider is gone, that means we can focus on the Servant at the temple. If it is them, we can stop them from taking energy from people in the city and that'll be that." He finished drying dishes and dried his hands.

"I don't know... It's odd for a Master to set up a base at someplace like Ryuudou. It's out of the way, it's too remote." Tohsaka said it with the same thoughtful look.

Saber spoke up. "I disagree." Assassin nodded his agreement, his mouth full of food. "That temple is a source of power. It's a perfect hideout for someone who would build more power that way."

Tohsaka grew agitated. Michael asked, "But then, why has everyone else ignored it? If it's such a great power source, wouldn't everyone be fighting over it?"

Assassin shook his head. "The entire mountain has a barrier around it. It won't effect you, or normal humans, but it will weaken us Servants if we went inside."

"That's a slight problem, then," Michael said.

"Even with myself and Michael, I don't think we could take the Master on alone," Tohsaka continued.

"Either way," Saber said. "Now that we know a Master is there, we should strike at once."

Michael and Assassin shook their heads at the same time. Assassin spoke their shared thought. "We should scout it out first. Charging in blindly might be a very bad idea, especially with that barrier."

Saber looked to Shirou. "I agree with them. Someone might get hurt."

"But Shirou -"

"No!" he interrupted her. "Even with 3 Servants, it poses too much of a risk if we don't know who - or what - we're up against."

Saber was adamant. "That is ridiculous! We have information, and we should act on it!"

Michael broke in. "Saber, if they have a barrier up that weakens Servants, don't you think it's likely that they'll have a bunch of traps set up too?"

Shirou nodded. "Charging in without a plan is paramount to suicide."

Saber scoffed. "Such danger is apparent to begin with. That's what it means to fight in the Holy Grail War."

Tohsaka held up a hand. "I agree with them. We should at least have an idea of what we're up against before we go in."

Michael nodded. "Then it's settled." He thought for a moment. "I'll need to go back to my house for some things first, then Assassin and I can go up after and check it out real quick. We should be fine with Presence Concealment."

Tohsaka shook her head. "No."

Michael tilted his head, disbelieving. "...no? What do you mean, 'no?' We're perfect for this!"

She shook her head again. "Your arm still isn't fully healed yet. I don't want you to go up there alone. Even with Presence Concealment, there's a chance you'd get in a fight."

Michael rolled his eyes. "I'm more than capable enough to handle myself."

Tohsaka stood, towering over him as he sat. "I said no, and no means no. Wait until tomorrow night, when your arm is a little better. It wouldn't do to lose you."

Michael crossed his arms over his chest, but didn't argue. Tohsaka took that as an agreement.

"All right then, now that everything is covered..." She turned around, picking up the bags she'd brought with her.

Shirou looked behind her. Tohsaka had three or four bags of her own, as did Michael. "What's in all those bags?"

Tohsaka just smiled. "Michael and I are going to decide on our rooms now."

It took a moment for the words to sink in. "Rooms? What?"

She continued. "We'll be living here. If we're in an alliance, it's much easier for us to communicate if we're under one roof."

She walked out into the hallway. Michael grabbed his own bags, racing out after her, yelling, "I've got dibs on a room in the separate building!"

He and Tohsaka began arguing over who would get each room. Shirou chased them, trying to argue against it. Assassin just laughed, and Saber was quiet.

They each eventually decided on a room, and set things up. Michael threw his bags together, taking out some items but leaving most in.

He went to see how Shirou and Tohsaka were doing. Tohsaka was unpacking and setting up various reagents. Michael took a look, ignoring Tohsaka's cries of, "Hey, careful with those!" and "Those are expensive and rare!"

He just laughed. "Hey, after you nearly destroyed my spices earlier, I deserve a look at yours." She pouted. "This isn't even close to the same thing."

Michael laughed and got up, intending to leave the room. Shirou stood in the doorway, arms crossed. "I never said you two could live here." Both ignored him. Michael left as Saber began to inject as well, arguing about her living arrangements.

He went to the kitchen, quickly making sure his food wasn't burning. Taiga and Sakura would be there soon. He sat down at the table, opening a book he'd brought with him. He heard Tohsaka and Shirou walking down the hallway, Tohsaka discussing their other problems, mainly Ilyasviel and Berserker.

Saber and Tohsaka were discussing plans for dealing with attacks.

"I've had Archer take up a lookout post, so we should know if an attack is imminent."

"I've bad Assassin do the same," Michael said, not looking up from his book.

All the while, Shirou was glaring at all three of them. Tohsaka looked at him.

"What's wrong, Shirou?"

He had his arms crossed. "I thought you two said you weren't going to get friendly with us?"

"Oh?"

Tohsaka smiled. "Oh, I see."

Michael thought, _'Uh oh, here it comes.'_

She leaned in close, her hand to her mouth to prevent Saber for hearing her next words.

"You don't need to worry. I won't take your lovely Saber away." She giggled.

Both Shirou and Saber blushed.

"Besides," she continued, pointedly looking at Michael. "I think Assassin is a very handsome specimen." She laughed once more, skipping out of the room.

Michael's eyes shot daggers at her back as she walked out.

The doorbell rang, and they all went to meet it. Michael was the first to the door.

It was Sakura, and she'd already let herself in. She dropped the bag she was carrying when she noticed that both Michael and Tohsaka were there, as well as Assassin.

"Emiya-senpai - " She just looked... Betrayed. "Tohsaka-senpai... Michael-senpai...?

Michael greeted her politely. He planned to intervene before Tohsaka could say anything (Michael remembered this part very well - and he hadn't liked it).

Shirou said, "I... Umm... This will take a while to explain." Michael saw Tohsaka's arm twist a little; it seemed she was literally pulling strings again, this time Shirou's.

Michael picked up the bag she'd been carrying. "No need, I'll do it." He looked to Sakura. "Tohsaka's house is undergoing repairs, so I asked Shirou to let her stay here until they were finished. As for myself..."

He looked sheepish. "My brother there - " he motioned with his head towards Assassin " - decided to try his hand at cooking, and, well, my house is a little gone for the moment."

Sakura gasped. He motioned for her to follow him. "I've already made dinner as thanks, and Shirou said you're a really good chef, so I'd like your opinion on it, if you don't mind." She perked up a bit at that, and followed him. "It's an Italian recipe from my mother's family, so I hope you'll like it!"

Michael and Sakura went to the kitchen, leaving Shirou behind to deal with Tohsaka.

_'Sorry buddy.'_ He laughed a bit.

Michael heard the front door slam open a few moments later - evidently, Taiga had arrived.

"Shirou! I'm here to eat dinner!"

_'Jeez, she's loud,'_ he thought.

Next thing he knew, everyone was seated at the table, preparing to eat - everyone except Taiga and Shirou that is.

While she was yelling at the poor guy, Michael started serving everyone. He'd barely served everyone before Assassin handed him back his plate, motioning for seconds.

Michael looked to Tohsaka. "Should we intervene?"

Hearing this, Shirou groaned, "Please..."

Michael quickly handed Taiga a plate (which seemed to catch her eye), and Tohsaka began speaking, spilling out the same story Michael had told Sakura. Michael interjected here and there where he saw fit to; otherwise, he left Tohsaka to do the talking.

It was all he could do to keep Assassin's and Saber's plates filled otherwise.

Taiga eventually relented, settling down and enjoying the dinner.

"Wow, Michael, I didn't know you could cook like this!" Shirou exclaimed.

Michael grinned sheepishly. "Haha, it's nothing. This is just an old family recipe."

Everyone seemed to like it. He'd made a simple Alfredo sauce with chicken, served over linguini, along with a salad and homemade garlic bread to go on the side.

Taiga was especially interested. "Really, Michael? Where'd you learn to cook like this?!"

"I grew up in Italy, so a lot of the food I know how to cook is food like this."

Sakura spoke up tentatively. "Michael-senpai, could you teach me how to cook some of this?"

He nodded. "Sure, I'd love to!" He was surprised; he didn't think they'd love it this much.

* * *

Dinner ended and Taiga and Sakura left soon afterwards. Shirou and Saber saw them out, leaving Tohsaka and Michael to clean up.

He immediately thought it was a bad idea when she offered to help. He could almost _see_ the killing intent coming from her.

They talked (well, she talked, he listened and tried to talk) as they worked, he washing dishes and she drying. No matter what he said, she just continued ranting.

"I can't believe you let her in here!"

"She - "

"This place could become a battlefield at any time. Letting them here is a huge risk!"

"Tohsaka, I - "

"If _someone_ had let me speak, I'd have tried to warn her away from here!"

"Tohsaka."

"But _no_. You just had to invite her in!"

"Toh - "

"If anything happena to them, it is going to be your fault!"

Michael sighed, trying to drone her out. He didn't think he was going to get a word in.

Eventually, she stopped rambling and he was able to speak.

"I couldn't let them think anything was out of the ordinary, aside from our presence here." He stretched, drying his hands. "Besides, you saw her this morning. I couldn't bear to see her like that again."

She didn't reply.

"In any case, I'm going to send Assassin to lurk around the temple for a bit, and then I'm going to bed." He walked to the hallway, yawning and opening the door before finishing. "Leave Archer here to guard the house. And have him make sure Saber doesn't leave - I didn't like the way she was acting earlier. I think she'll try something, no matter what we say."

She nodded. "Let me see your arm again before you go to sleep." He nodded, left and closed the door behind him.

Michael went to his room, unpacking things and calling Assassin.

"Hey, I need you to do something." Assassin grinned.

"Scout work?" Michael nodded.

"I need you to, very carefully and undetectably if possible, go scout around up there. Find out as much as you can, and stay out of trouble." Assassin nodded, and his form shimmered. After a moment, he stood, garbed in his robes. "One more thing:

"I didn't like the way Saber was acting earlier. Like I just told Rin, I think she'll try something. Just keep an eye out when you're up there, make sure she doesn't get into trouble if she does leave here."

Assassin nodded and he faded from view.

Michael lay back on the bed, sighing. He was tired.

He unpacked all his things, setting up his books neatly on the desk in the room, and hanging his clothes in the small closet in the corner. Luckily, there was enough space that his robes were largely hidden, and so was most of his other gear. There was a small chest at the foot of his bed, so he put various other gear in that, medical supplies, extra knives, and the like.

A shelf above the desk held moat of the sparse magus-related reagents he'd brought with him, as well as the ingredients for poisons he was able to make. He and Tohsaka had agreed to share the beakers and bottles; as he rarely used them, they were kept in her room.

He was finished after quite a bit. He yawned, changed into his nighttime clothes, then leapt into bed after turning out the lights. He was fast asleep soon after.

* * *

_Hey everyone! Hoped you liked last week's chapter, ehehe! This week's will, hopefully, be up this coming Sunday._

_I've been having quite a bit of fun with this so far. Everyone is hugely fun to write, and I enjoy thinking of the ways they interact. Unfortunately, due to the sheer amount of characters I have to deal with, sometimes a few get left out from time to time. One example is this chapter itself; Archer is largely missing, and Saber rarely speaks, although that's a given in either case. Much of Archer's time is spent being a lookout and Saber doesn't speak unless she's feels it is necessary._

_Regardless, I'll be trying to fit in everyone as much as I can._

_I changed up the way Sakura came into the house late into this chapter, largely for personal reasons. Though I love Rin, she can be really rude at times. I felt this part was really, really unfair to Sakura, so I gave it a happier tone, largely through Michael cutting off Tohsaka._

_Other than those, there's really nothing for me to explain this week, so I'll give a few hints about things that'll be happening in the next few chapters:_

_1. The Templars will gradually gain prominence in the story._

_2. More of Michael's background will be revealed._

_3. Something will happen that will change the course of the Holy Grail War._

_Feel free to speculate and guess! I'm looking forward to all of your thoughts in the reviews and comments!_

_Next week: Saber and Assassin go up against Caster, Michael and Assassin delve into the Templar intel they stole last chapter, and everyone stays home from school! What'll come out of this!?_


	6. Chapter 5 - Revelations

_"Better three hours too soon, than a minute late."_

_Ford, William Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor, Act 2, Scene 2_

* * *

Assassin, better known as Ezio Auditore de Firenze, crept swiftly and silently through the shadows of Fuyuki City. He was headed west, towards Ryuudouji Temple on top of a mountain, Mount Enzou, his path lit subtly by the moon and stars above. A slight fog partly impeded his view, though he had no trouble as of yet.

He reflected back on what his Master, Michael, had told him. The seventh Servant, Caster, had made the temple her base, and was using its location as a power source to empower herself. She would be largely defenseless; Michael had told him two things:

Firstly, the temple was protected by a large barrier, one that hampered other Servants than Caster within it. Normally, a Servant like Saber or even Assassin himself would have little trouble taking down Caster. This barrier was the cause of their caution.

Secondly, the barrier had one weakness: the temple gate. In Michael's world, this gate had been protected by the Servant Assassin, different from himself, who had been summoned under Caster - a breach in the rule of the Holy Grail War. Due to his presence, however, the "slot" for the Assassin-class had been filled already. Caster would no longer have that extra precaution to protect herself.

If Servants entered the temple by following the path and entering through the gate, they would be unaffected by the barrier. This was why Caster had chosen to locate her Assassin there, to prevent enemies from reaching her at full power.

Michael and his allies had decided that he, Assassin, would go up the mountain, using his class skill as the Assassin, Presence Concealment, to scout out the terrain and figure out what Caster was doing. Michael had also warned him to keep an eye out; Saber would likely charge up here alone, and in her condition and the barrier, it was possible she'd be in a tight spot.

Assassin carefully, as swift and silent as a shadow, made his way up the mountain. He noticed there was another presence in the forest; it seemed Saber had not truly killed Rider after all. She was in the trees near the path, evidently waiting. It seemed Shinji expected them to come here tonight. He made a mental note to tell the others this later.

Assassin passed by her, ignoring her for the moment. He was at the temple gates in another few minutes, patiently watching to see if anything was out of place. His trained eyes looked for any signs of traps. Noting none, he activated one of his Noble Phantasm, his Eagle Sense. In life, this hereditary ability had served him well. As a Servant, it would do so again.

Assassin's gaze roamed around the area, looking for any signs of his target. Many, many little red auras scattered around the area, indicating enemies. The gate had a faint yellow glow; what this indicated, he wasn't quite sure, but he intended to find out.

His senses, heightened far beyond their norm, detected a presence making it's way up the mountain path. Thinking it Saber, he decided to sit back and wait for a moment.

In a few more minutes, she appeared, her armor shining in the moonlight and her sword invisible as ever. She had a slight blue aura, indicating to Assassin that she was, for the moment, an ally. Assassin dropped from his perch, landing in front of her.

"I thought we agreed that tonight would be a scouting mission," he said.

Saber gave him a stern, cold look. "Shirou and the others are wrong. We should take this chance while we can, and destroy Caster as soon as possible."

Assassin shook his head. "Charging in without a plan is deadly; I, as an Assassin, know that better than anyone. We should wait until we discover more information." He turned his back and walked towards the gate. "Go back to Shirou's home. You're interfering."

Saber grew angry. An Assassin, talking to her like this!? She raised her sword in one arm, pointing it at him. "If you do not get out of my way, I shall have to force my way past you - and trust me," she said. "You would not live to tell the tale."

Assassin merely stood where he was, one hand running along the carved temple gate. He shrugged nonchalantly. "I've killed many a knight in my day, even in honorable combat. One more would make little difference." He looked back for a moment. "Do not test me, Saber. You will come to regret it."

She said nothing in response, merely raising her sword. Sighing, Assassin said, "Fool... Fine, if that's the way you want it."

He settled into his own ready stance, drawing his sword in his right hand and three throwing knives in between the fingers of his left hand. Neither moved for a moment, the wind blowing softly between them. As a cloud passed overhead, shrouding the moon from view, Assassin struck, throwing all three knives at once and dashing forward, drawing his dagger as he leapt.

Saber briefly surged her prana, easily deflecting all three knives. She dashed forward, striking with her sword In an overhead slash. Assassin parried, sword and dagger in front in a cross-shape. As he did so, he kicked out, connecting with her chest and sending her backwards.

Saber landed easily on her feet, sword up. She seemed a bit surprised; few Assassins could parry a blow like that from her, and live to speak of it afterwards. She dashed forward again, surging her prana in no burst of speed.

Assassin reacted just before she reached him, deftly moving to the side and catching hold of her invisible sword with his sword. The two struggled for a few moments, then disengaged, leaping backwards.

Now, Saber had the high ground, and Assassin stood a few steps below her.

After a few more clashes, each switching their positions multiple times, they stood looking at each other, breathing lightly. Saber raised her sword in a salute.

"You've done well - for an Assassin. There are few who could match me in swordsmanship."

Assassin bowed, flourishing his cape. "I do pride myself on my abilities." He sheathed his sword and dagger. "It seems I'll need to go all-out from hereon."

Saber laughed. "All-out with no weapons? You must be joking. Face me like a man!"

In response, Assassin extended both of his arms, his hidden blades springing forth from their sheaths. He grinned. "Whoever said I was unarmed?"

Saber quieted, observing his weapons. Assassin struck at the moment, his speed faster than it had been before. He lashed out, his movements quick and precise. Saber blocked and parried his blows, allowing herself to be pushed back, up towards the temple gate.

Once there, she planned to use the even footing to her advantage. Assassin was able to use the trees and steps as leverage, vaulting off them in an unorthodox fighting style. Without those, she hoped to put herself at a bigger advantage in straight combat.

Once he pushed her through the gate, however, Assassin immediately felt something was wrong. He stopped, feeling a slight drop in the air around them. Saber made a motion, as if to go on the offensive, but Assassin held up a hand.

"One moment... Something isn't right here." He looked around, observing the area around them.

They stood just inside the temple gate; an even courtyard spread for many meters in each direction, with little to no obstructions. His gaze passed over everything in sight, looking for anything out of place. Saber did the same, eyeing the area warily.

Laughter, clear and bell-like, rang out above them. Both looked to the sky to see.

Above, hanging on the sky, suspended by a winged cape, Caster floated. She laughed once more.

"It seems two little doves have been caught in my trap. I think I'll have to cage you two." She snapped her fingers.

The ground around the two combatants rumbled and groaned, and multiple, skeletal warriors arose from the ground. Within seconds, a legion surrounded the two, uncountable numbers. Saber and Assassin stood, back-to-back, weapons at the ready.

Assassin laughed, no mirth in his tone. "See? This is why I wanted to investigate things."

Saber stood, merely holding her sword at the ready. "Be prepared."

Assassin sighed. The skeletal warriors rushed in, and the two Servants began a new battle.

* * *

Michael awoke a little after 11 p.m. He sat upright in bed, then stretched. He hadn't intended to sleep this long, only long enough to make sure everyone else was asleep.

Sighing, he got out of bed, putting on his robes and checking to make sure he had everything he needed. Quietly, he left his room, making sure both Tohsaka and Shirou were still asleep.

He raised his hood, then left the compound, leaping over the eastern wall and heading towards the city. He ran, leaping from rooftop to rooftop, quickly and quietly. Within a few minutes, he stood atop the building that had been noted as important in the Templar notes he'd found the day before.

Michael made his way carefully around the building, looking for any windows he could get access to. He found an open one on the northern face of the structure. He made his way towards it, slipping in and looking at his surroundings.

He stood in an office, larger than the vice principal's. He decided to forego any intel gathering; he needed to discover what they were hiding down on the lower levels.

Michael left the room, proceeding down the dark halls, hiding from and incapacitating any security guards he met along the way. Surprisingly, he found no security cameras; this put him on edge.

Using a security card he'd lifted from an unconscious guard, he passed by several doors, making his way lower and lower in the establishment. At the twentieth floor, he discovered something disturbing.

Rows and rows of Animus machines stretched across the floor, each in their own section with desks and observation tables.

He wondered what the Templars could possibly be planning.

He continued on. To get below the ground floor, he had to use the elevators, or perhaps the elevator shafts. He decided on the later option, and made his way through the vents to reach it, securing the wall vent behind him.

After a few minutes in the dark and slow crawls, he exited quietly into the basement floor. Using his wind Magecraft, he searched out any irregularities in the air pressure; these would indicate whether or not he was alone. Finding nothing out-of-place, he cautiously moved forward.

Desks and more observation tables, crates next to them, lay around the area. Various tools, unknown to him, were scattered around. Quietly, Michael unlatched one of the crates, peering at what was inside.

Astonished, he closed that one and moved on to the next, each discovery making him more and more anxious.

What lay inside the crates were Pieces of Eden, artifacts and remnants of the First Civilization.

* * *

Assassin ducked as Saber swung her invisible sword above his head, beheading the draconian construct that had been behind him. As he did, he swung his left arm horizontally, four throwing knives leaving his fingers to embed themselves in two constructs behind Saber.

The two warriors stood back-to-back afterwards, once again fighting off more of them. The tide seemed never-ending; for every construct they killed, three more took it's place.

Caster laughed once again, waving her stave and creating yet more constructs. Assassin, tired of her in general, took a quick moment to send a few throwing knives her way. As expected, they were lost on the folds of her cape, but it shut her up. For the moment, anyways.

Saber swung her sword gracefully, killing a construct, or two, even three, with every blow. Assassin marveled as he watched her (when he could); she was far more graceful than many of the swordsman he'd fought in life.

_'To be expected,'_ he thought. _'We are Heroic Spirits, after all.'_ He'd switched his hidden blades out for the sword and dagger he'd used before. Their reach was of greater use fight now; the hidden blades were better for quick, precise strikes, which generally weren't needed for these mindless soldiers.

Caster yelled something that he couldn't be bothered to pay attention to. At the moment, he was busy fending off the 6 constructs that had rushed him at the same time.

However, he _did_ feel the impact as something imploded the ground a few feet behind him. When he glanced back, his eyes widened in disbelief; whatever she had done, Caster had screwed up the temple ground behind him. She'd even blasted a few of her soldiers in the process, not that she likely cared.

It seemed like she'd been aiming for someone other than Saber or himself. He realized whom it had been a moment later as a chain rushed towards Caster, though it didn't connect. It seemed Rider had joined the battle.

Assassin parried a blow, his eyes quickly scanning the battlefield for Saber. They needed to get out of here, quickly, before Caster did anything to either of them. Before he could find her, the ground rumbled. Next thing he knew, the temple gate literally imploded as Berserker rushed through it, charging madly towards Caster.

Upon seeing that, Caster shrieked in fury. Multiple symbols appeared in the sky next to her, and there was a slight delay before pillars of magic started impacting the ground everywhere. Assassin was amazed he hadn't been hit in the crossfire.

He spotted Saber trading blows with Rider a few meters away. He called her name, motioning for her to move towards the gate. After that, he reached into a pouch, retrieving his Apple. In this chaos, it'd make getting out of there smoothly.

Saber had seemingly ignored him. Assassin shook his head. _'Fool girl.'_

He took off, running towards her, avoiding beams of light and Berserker's mad swings, as well as defeating any construct in his way. In a few moments, he was next to her, parrying a blow from a construct.

"We need to get out of here!" he yelled over the din. "I think we've seen enough to make some plans."

She glared at him. "We should take them out while we have the chance!" She decapitated another construct as she spoke.

Assassin shook his head, dodging and killing another himself. "There's no way the two of us could take out all three of them ourselves." He rolled out-of-the-way as another of Caster's beams impacted the ground near him. "Besides, I doubt Shirou would want you to die like this."

She narrowed her eyes at the mention of her Master. "I'm finishing them here." As she spoke, the wind flared, seeming to originate from her sword. Assassin groaned.

'Merda_, this woman is stubborn._' He rolled again, barely dodging another beams the ground where he'd been standing smouldered.

The wind continued to pick up, soon becoming gale-force winds. Assassin's shielded his face from the wind. Caster mumbled something he couldn't hear. Rider disappeared in the confusion.

Berserker howled once more, charging at Saber. He was briefly thrown aside (for a slight moment) by Caster's attacks. Saber stood her ground, her sword continuing to be the center of the whirlwind. A glow began to emerge.

Before Saber could do anything else, Caster fired off many beams simultaneously in her direction. Saber wouldn't have time to move before she'd be hit.

Assassin intervened. He charged, tackling her out-of-the-way, narrowly being missed (though his cloak was smoking). Using his Apple of Eden, he shrouded them and created illusions at the same time; he hoped Caster and the others bought it.

The whirlwind had dissipated when Assassin tackled Saber. Caster and Berserker once more resumed their fight, lights and howls echoing through the night air.

Saber knelt, opening her mouth to yell at him, her anger clear on her face. Assassin hushed her, murmuring as loudly as he dared. "We're invisible to them now." He looked to the gate. "Now is our chance to get out before they realize we're still alive."

When he looked back at Saber, he realized she was nearly unconscious. She could barely stand, let alone walk or run. He wondered what she'd done.

Before she could argue in reply, Assassin picked her up, throwing her over his shoulder. He ran, nimbly dodging stray beams from Caster and scrambling out of the path of any of the remaining constructs. The temple had become a war zone.

On his way down the mountain, he came upon Shirou.

Shirou gasped when he saw his Servant. "Saber!? What happened?" He took her from Assassin before he could say anything, holding her delicately in his arms. Assassin hadn't realized that both her sword and armor had disappeared; she was clothed only in the blue-green dress she wore under it.

Assassin shook his head. "Now is not the time, my young friend." He pointed back towards the Temple. "The War has quite literally broken out up there. I suggest we retreat home for the moment."

Shirou carried Saber, holding her in his arms. Saber seemed almost unconscious, if she wasn't already. _'Fool girl,'_ Assassin thought once more.

He ushered Shirou forward down the mountain, keeping a wary eye out as they went.

He only hoped Michael and the others would be able to salvage something from this.

* * *

Michael ran through the lower corridors, gunshots echoing out behind him. He'd been discovered as he rummaged through the notes left out. The 'experiments' the Templars had been doing were horrific. As it was, he'd wondered where they'd gotten so many Pieces from.

_'Well, I suppose it makes sense they'd bring them here,'_ he mused silently. After all, Japan was largely Assassin free due to their efforts; they probably hadn't expected them to stumble across them. Michael supposed he was lucky he had.

He ran, running over what he'd seen earlier. 5 Pieces of Eden: 2 Apples, a Shard, a Staff, and a Sword. He'd managed to snag an Apple and the Sword on his way out of the room; the Sword was now sheathed at his hip, bouncing lightly as he ran, and the Apple was secure in a pouch at his belt.

Aside from this discovery, he'd found a barred door he'd been unable to access. He and Assassin would have to come back at some point after the excitement died down; they needed to find out what the rest of their plans were, what was behind that door. It was important; he was sure of it.

Michael ducked as more gunshots sounded out behind him. He felt a slight _whoosh _of air near his head; his armor protected him, so he didn't think he'd been shot.

He'd been extremely lucky so far. He hadn't stumbled across many guards, but he'd had to kill a few of them to make his way out of the lower chambers. He regretted their deaths, but there was nothing he could do. This was a "do or die" situation.

Michael couldn't afford to be merciful.

He reached a staircase, bounding up two or three stairs at a time. A few minutes later, he pushed open a door.

'Finally,' he thought. 'The ground floor.' From here he could escape, disappearing into the night. Or so he thought.

"_Cazzo_!" Michael muttered quietly, an Italian swear he'd picked up from his grandfather in Italy.

Spread out before him, blocking the exit, were maybe a score of men and women - but these were no ordinary security guards.

These seemed to be the elite Templar force of the area, or at least some of them. Metal glinted in the dim light from outside; it seemed that they had some sort of armor on. All of them carried some sort of weapon; he made out the shapes of various pistols, rifles, even a minigun carried by a particularly massive specimen.

Michael looked at his hands; his hidden blades seemed to be vastly underpowered in comparison.

"What's the matter, _Assassin_?" The words were spat with contempt. "Feeling a bit down?" The voice spoke out, seemingly over the loudspeaker in the entrance hall. Michael didn't bother looking around for the source.

The Templars stalked towards him, warily eyeing him. Michael settled into a ready stance, ready to sprint forward at a moment's notice. _'If I'm going to die, I'm at least taking some of you with me.'_

His armor would protect him from the worst of the bullets. He doubted he'd get more than 4 or 5 of them, but he was sure they'd continue to fear the Assassins after his death. He had to live up to the legacy, after all.

One of them edged a bit too close. Michael noted the slight shake in his hands. That'd be his opening.

The voice on the intercom had continued speaking, saying something about "Templars coming out vicious, blah, blah, blah," typical Templar idiocy and all that. As he came to a close, Michael charged. It took a moment for the first Templars to react.

That moment was all Michael needed.

Using Reinforcement, he was within their midst in mere seconds. His fists flashed, and the two closest Templars fell, grasping at their throats. Others opened fire immediately, though a few held back, evidently afraid of hitting their companions.

Michael didn't feel any pain immediately. He thought it odd; as close as he was, he should've been hit already. He should've been hit multiple times.

The closest Templars took a few steps back, fear in their eyes. The large man with the minigun stepped forward, aiming his gun at Michael. Michael stopped, eyeing the man warily. The gun revved up, a whir echoing through the air.

The voice on the intercom spoke again. "Face your death, Assassin - pray to whatever God you hold dear." Laughter echoed through the hall. The large man grunted, then pulled the trigger. Michael braced himself for death.

The minigun sputtered loudly, spraying out several bullets. The stream raced towards Michael...

...Then bounced away, ricocheting off a shimmering barrier that formed a few inches off Michael's body. Michael stared at it in amazement, wondering what the hell was going on.

He felt a slight tug in his mind, and he looked towards his hip. The tug continued, stronger, and Michael realized what it was; the Sword of Eden. Apparently, this was one of its effects.

Michael unsheathed the blade, then charged forward. The Templars raced to meet him, though a few yelled fearfully.

* * *

Assassin and Shirou entered Shirou's home quietly. Assassin hoped Tohsaka was still asleep; that girl was a nightmare at sometimes.

Shirou set Saber down gently, staring at her. Assassin noted he seemed angry, though that anger faded quickly as he looked at her. Shirou knelt and placed his arms around her, bracing himself to pick her up again. Assassin shook his head.

_'Such young, stupid love,'_ he thought. Just then, the light flicked on. A sarcastic, angry presence entered the room._ 'Oh boy. Here it comes.'_

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" Tohsaka stood, leaning against the wall, her arms crossed.

Shirou stood, stuttering over his words. "It's not what you think," and the like. Assassin ignored him.

"Yes. It is," Assassin said. He continued, ignoring Shirou's whispered exclamations. "I was up at the Temple, minding my own business, when Saber over there showed up."

Tohsaka nodded. Assassin went on. "I asked her politely to leave. We fought, then things pretty much went to hell from there." He stretched. "I'll explain more when Michael gets -"

He was interrupted at that moment, as the sliding door slid open with a clang, revealing Michael. Michael stood there for a moment, his robes rustled and slit in various areas, a bloodied cut on his forehead. He bore other wounds, although none appeared serious.

Assassin continued nonchalantly. "Eh, speak of the devil." He walked towards the living room.

Shirou and Tohsaka stared at Michael, bewildered at his appearance. He looked back at them. "What?" he asked.

"What are you wearing?" Tohsaka asked. Michael looked down.

"Oh, these?" He shrugged. "Come along. I'll explain in a moment." He looked back. "You bring Saber to her room Tohsaka. I'll go start water for tea."

Tohsaka shook her head. Things got weirder every day. "Use my tea set. It's in -"

"- the cupboard on the right." Michael finished as he walked away. "I know."

A few minutes later, the three Masters sat around the table, Assassin next to Michael. Both still wore their robes, though their hoods were down. Saber sat next to Shirou; she'd woken up after they'd taken her to her room. The tea set sat in the middle of the table, each brewing their tea.

"Now," Michael mused, looking at Assassin. "Where do we begin?"

Assassin shrugged. "I'll begin with what I've found tonight."

Tohsaka interrupted. "Not so fast!" She pointed at Michael. "First, you're going to tell us why you're dressed so weird."

Michael looked hurt. "Weird? These are traditional!" She glared at him. He sighed.

"Alright then... I'm sure you two know of the story of Adam and Eve?" Shirou looked confused, but Tohsaka nodded. "Well, I'm sure you've never heard the truth behind that story."

Tohsaka looked angry. "What truth? It's just an old story."

Michael held up a finger. "Not quite." He went quiet for a moment, thinking. "For you two to understand, you'll need to be silent and listen until I'm finished. When I'm done explaining, you can ask some questions. Understood?"

Shirou nodded. Tohsaka reluctantly agreed. Saber stayed quiet.

Michael went on. "Thousands of years ago, there existed a vast, advanced empire of beings far beyond normal humans. We refer to these beings as the 'First Civilization.' These beings, godly in their power and absolute in their rule, lorded over humans, controlling them through their technology. Few pieces of this technology remains; more on that later."

He took a drink before continuing. "Eventually, there was interbreeding between the gods and humans. These half-breeds were born with both the power of their godly parents, and the ability to resist their power. Thus, the rebellion began, spearheaded by two half-breeds known as Adam and Eve - the first of those who would later become known as Assassins.

Adam and Eve stole First Civilization technology, and the war between the two races was fierce. But there was another issue; a solar flare, one big enough to wipe the face of the planet, was imminent. Certain members of the First Civilization looked for ways to avert the coming catastrophe.

"They failed. Life was nearly wiped out by the event. Few members of the First Civilization survived, and not very many humans died either. Obviously, we bounced back, but they did not."

He sat for a moment, gathering his thoughts. After another sip of tea, he continued. "Certain artifacts of the Civilization survived. These relics, these Pieces of Eden, have shaped the course of history." He brought out the Apple and Sword he'd swiped from the Templars earlier. "These are two such Pieces." He held up the sphere. "This is what's called an 'Apple of Eden,' and this -" he held the sword aloft "- is a 'Sword of Eden'."

"These Pieces have shaped the course of human history. Through their powers, key individuals have changed the course of millions of lives. Attila the Hun conquered much through the use of a Sword. King Arthur did the same. Alexander the Great accomplished that he did with a Staff. George Washington and others have through an Apple. If it's a key event, you can be sure a Piece is involved somehow."

Michael noted Saber's eyes shifted towards him warily when he mentioned 'King Arthur.' Well, he seemed to have her attention, at least.

"To get to the point, there are two groups that have, throughout our history, fought a secret war through the use of these Pieces, and over them. We, the Assassins Order, fight to save humanity's free will. Our enemies, the Templars, seek the power to create a perfect world through control and order, crushing free will."

"Their intentions may seem noble on the outside," Assassin said. "But often, power corrupts. And thus, we have the Templars. Even some Assassins have fallen to them, at some point."

Michael nodded. "Each Piece of Eden has a different effect and ability." He again held the Apple. "Apples generally grant the user the ability to create illusions, mind-control those around them, even instantly kill or knock people unconscious. You can imagine why they're dangerous in the wrong hands."

He held the sword. "Each Sword has had different abilities. Attila's had the power to summon a meteor strike to smite his enemies. King Arthur's had various powers in the legends. This one has it's own. All generally grant great power and leadership to their wielders.

"Staves, such as the long-lost Papal Staff, grant mind-control and the ability to control others bodies. Additionally, Apples and Staves can be combined to amplify their powers. Other Pieces exist, such as Shards, rings that grant the wearer a barrier-like force field, or the Shroud, a healing cloth. Crystal Skulls, etc, etc; almost any ancient artifact you can think of is likely a Piece of Eden."

Michael took another sip. "That's why I'm dressed like this. I had, ahem, 'business' with some Templars tonight, business that eventually led me to these two Pieces, which I managed to confiscate before they could use them to cause any further harm."

The room went silent for a long while. Shirou spoke up. "This is all a little hard to believe." Michael nodded.

"I didn't believe it myself first either. However, let me show you if you don't believe..."

He held the Sword aloft. A fiery glow came to life around the blade. He looked at Tohsaka. "Tohsaka, I want you to shoot me with that Gandr spell you're fond of."

She looked at him, her mouth slightly agape. "Are you serious?"

He nodded. "Completely. Just trust me."

Wordlessly, she stood, simply aiming at him with her hand held in a gun like motion. A black, purplish ball appeared on the tip of her finger, before launching towards Michael. Michael simply stood there.

Before the spell struck Michael, it bounced off, flinging away to strike the wall. Shirou and Tohsaka stared at where it had impacted. Michael sat.

"Next, let me demonstrate the Apple's effects." He set the Sword on the table and grasped the Apple. "Tohsaka, watch."

Looking at Shirou, Michael commanded: "Dance."

Wordlessly, his eyes blank, Shirou stood and began to dance, grabbing Saber's hands and dragging her into a waltz. After a few moments, Michael released his hold on Shirou's mind, leaving Shirou wondering why he was suddenly standing holding Saber's hands. Michael continued his explanation.

"As you can see, these Pieces are no joke. If the Templars get their hands on them - which they already have - a great deal of people will be hurt. The only problem in their plan is that the use of the Pieces' power is generally addictive, and it's painful if used for long periods of time. That's generally why Assassins don't use Pieces, why we hide them - the cost is too great to allow the usage."

Assassin spoke. "Of course, there are those who are descended from those of mixed blood, Adam and Eve. Few are granted their abilities, such as myself, but we have a resistance to the Pieces' effects, and in any case, even regular humans can build up a resistance over time."

Michael nodded. "That's why we try to hinder the Templars as much as we can. The more we can, the safer everyone will be."

It grew quiet again. Shirou spoke. "But why do you call yourselves Assassins? Isn't that a generally dark, evil term?"

Assassin shrugged. "It's always been that way. Our name shouldn't matter. We have a creed, rules and such, that make us different than the Templars, as does our purpose."

"Yeah," Michael agreed. "In any case, as an old Assassin once said, 'We work in the dark, to serve the light.'"

Neither Tohsaka nor Shirou said anything for a long while. Tohsaka spoke. "So this is a sort of way of life for you, then?"

Michael nodded. "It's the same sort of secretive existence as being a Magus is. I just happen to be part of three worlds instead of two."

"Now that that's over with," Assassin continued. "We should move on the matters more concerning you two. Caster is truly a formidable opponent."

Tohsaka's eyes widened. "You fought Caster!?"

He grinned. "And Rider. And Berserker." He thought for a moment. "And the army Caster summoned." He shrugged. "Don't blame me. I wouldn't have gotten involved if Saber wasn't so hotheaded."

Saber began arguing with Assassin, and the two dove into an account of their night. Michael only half-listened. He was busy running over both what he'd told the others, and what he'd gone through himself. He sat, leaning back against the wall. It wasn't until the others were nearly done that he noticed that Tohsaka was staring at him.

Assassin wrapped things up. "So in short, Berserker is terrifying, Caster is probably dead, and Rider almost assuredly is not." Saber had gone quiet again, reflecting over her earlier fight with Shirou, apparently. That was the only time Tohsaka had spoken since Michael had finished his speech.

It had been decided that Saber and Shirou would do training, while Tohsaka and Michael would train him as a magus.

Michael stood, stretching and yawning. "Well then, I think we're done for the night." He finished the rest of his tea. "I'm tired and need sleep, so I don't think I'm going to school tomorrow."

Shirou looked at him oddly. "You're just going to skip school?"

Michael nodded. "I'll be no good if I can get enough sleep." He turned to walk out of the room before looking back at the door. "You two should as well; you, Shirou, need to train, and none of us can afford to lose any sleep."

With that, he walked out, carrying the Pieces of Eden, Assassin at his heels. They headed towards the roof, intending to talk.

On the roof, where they had some privacy, Michael handed the Pieces to Assassin. During this, Michael explained what had happened during his night. His description of his last fight was particularly lengthy. His observation of the Apple was fairly quick; they're all mostly the same anyways. He handed it back to Michael.

Michael was disturbed by the sword's power. "It was weird, Assassin. Like you saw earlier, the sword protected me from the projectiles. But that's not it; whenever I swung it, it's like ash hung in the air, terrorizing them and impeding their sight, although I could see fine." He shuddered.

"The blade seemed to be on fire too, and the fire _danced_ like it was alive. It actually burned them too."

"But it was _too_ good. I mean, it felt like the blade _enjoyed_ taking their lives and tasting blood." He shuddered again.

Assassin's examination of the Sword was more lengthy. The blade was of longer-than-average length; if he had to label it, he'd call it a bastard sword, or a hand-and-a-half sword, one equally suited to being wielded in one or two hands.

A large bloodstone was set in the pommel. The hilt was wrapped in what appeared to be leather. The cross-guard was ornate, and looked to resemble black, angelic wings. The blade was black as well, and bore runes. The overall length of the sword was around 55 inches, with the blade being around 45 inches.

Assassin was particularly interested in the abilities Michael said the sword possessed. After a long talk, they debated on what could be behind the door Michael had found.

In any case, they at least needed to rid the Templars of the rest of the Pieces. They were too great a power for the Templars to hold.

When they were finished, Assassin handed Michael back the Sword. Michael was a bit shocked. "What...? Why are you giving this to me?"

Assassin shrugged. "It could be useful. You said yourself that it's defensive potential is particularly potent. It could save your life."

Michael nodded slowly. "Perhaps... But there's a greater risk that I'll lose myself to the power."

Assassin shook his head. "I trust you Michael. Besides, I'm positive that you'll be able to control it. Not everyone succumbs to the temptation. That's what it means to be an Assassin, after all."

Michael was unsure, but he nodded again. "Okay. If you're sure."

Footsteps echoed on the rooftop. Both turned. Archer strode towards them.

"So... The idealist has his own plans." He chuckled.

Michael glared at him. "What do you want, Archer?"

Archer stared at him for a moment. "I have no memories of you," he said simply.

Michael's mouth went dry. "What do you mean?"

Archer laughed, though there was no mirth in it. "You know perfectly well, I'm guessing. You're not of this world." He turned, walking away, leaving Michael he faded, he said simply, "I have my own plans. Do not interfere, if you wish to live."

Michael turned his attention back to Assassin, though he was no longer there. "Typical," he muttered. Michael slipped down off the roof, heading to his room.

He opened the door to his room, stretching and yawning. He was eager to get out of his robes and get to sleep. As he closed the door, the light in his room turned on. He turned around warily. Michael jumped as he realized who was in his room.

Tohsaka sat in the chair at the desk, her legs and arms crossed. She looked slightly angry.

"Took you long enough to get back to your room, Mr. 'I'm so sleepy.'" she said.

Michael stuttered. "Tohsaka, what... What're you doing in my room?"

She waved her hand nonchalantly. "I'm just here to ask you a few questions, don't get any ideas."

Michael felt his face grow red. "That's... Not what I meant?" He sighed. Looked like he'd have to wait a bit longer.

He sat down on the edge of the bed. "What do you want?"

She looked at him squarely. "Tell me everything."

He was silent for a moment. "Every... Thing?"

She sighed, exasperated. "The other morning, you mentioned some creed. I assume that it is linked to what you told us earlier?"

He nodded warily. "Yeah... What about it?"

She smiled. "I want to know more."

Michael sighed again. This would take forever. "Shall I start at the beginning, or do you just want to know certain things?"

She glared at him. "Did I, or did I not say 'everything'?"

He put his heads in his hands. _'Yeah, guess I'm pulling an all-nighter.'_

Michael looked up. "Fine, but I'm going to change while I talk, whether you're in here or not." He bent down, unloading his boots.

"The Assassin Brotherhood and the Templars have origins stretching back to before recorded history, but it really all begins during the Middle Ages. I assume you know who the regular Assassin is supposed to be?" She nodded. "Well, that order is where this all begins.

"That is the original order of the Assassins. The one who essentially created the modern day Assassins, the Mentor Altair, was the one who changed everything. Through his actions, we are who we are today.

"The Assassins have various rules, tenets, what have you. There are three big rules that we live by: 1. 'Stay your blade from the flesh of an innocent.' 2. 'Hide in plain sight, be one with the crowd.' 3. 'Never compromise the Brotherhood.'"

Michael sat, massaging his calves, which were now free from his boots. He was silent for a moment before continuing. "In addition, there are three 'great ironies,' which I probably should've mentioned to Shirou earlier when he asked his question. In fact, these are the words of Altair himself:

"'_What follows are the three great ironies of the Assassin Order: 1. Here we seek to promote peace, but murder is our means. 2. Here we seek to open the minds of men, but require obedience to a master and set of rules. 3. Here we seek to reveal the danger of blind faith, yet we are practitioners ourselves.'"_

Michael looked at her. She seemed interested enough. He shrugged out of his robes, revealing his loose undershirt and leather pants.

"But the most important rule is this: 'Nothing is true; everything is permitted'. It is the ultimate tenet, and it was what I meant when I spoke of our creed."

He stood, stretching. "The Assassins and Templars have fought through the years. We've been behind the scenes of every major event in human history. Like I said earlier, we have specific examples dating back thousands of years, although it probably wouldn't be reflected in history books and such. Very few know about the existence of us, much less the Pieces of Eden.

"For example, King Arthur, Alexander, Attila, Ghengis Khan; all were back by a Piece of Eden. In Alexander's case, the Templars themselves gave him a Staff.

"Assassin is particularly involved. His legacy spans decades, where he was the foremost Assassin on the front lines against the Templars, revitalizing our Order around the world and being directly responsible for many great victories."

Michael went to the closet, hanging his robes and armor. He took off his hidden blades, setting them on the desk next to Tohsaka, before returning to the bed. He unsheathed the Sword, examining it.

He continued. "There's this whole big thing with training and initiation and all that. Some of it depends on who or where you're trained. In this day and age, inductees are generally all familial based, but there are some, such as myself, who aren't. Some are given a ring bearing the insignia when they are; some, as in my case -" he held out his left hand, showing her his ring finger "- are branded, showing our dedication.

"Our methods and equipment has changed throughout the years. The hidden blades aren't widely used today, although many are still trained in them. Many use guns or other such weapons instead. It's far easier to poison a high ranking official than it is to assassinate them with a hidden blade, for example."

Michael dropped the conversation for a bit, continuing to examine the sword. He spoke a little while later. "Generally, most of the insignias around the world are similar, though they differ from region to region. The one I bear is the one of the Italian Assassins, though I suspect that it's likely a bit outdated at this point."

He looked at her. "I forgot. I didn't tell you yesterday where I came from, did I?"

Tohsaka shook her head. "All you said was you were from Italy."

Michael shrugged. "More or less the truth. My mother moved to America when she was a bit younger than us, for school, I guess. She met my father there, and instead of going back home, she stayed in America... Things... Happened and I moved to Italy to live with my Grandfather when I was about 2. I grew up there."

He looked at her again. "Have you lived here all your life?"

She was silent for a moment before she replied. "Yes." She had one leg up on the chair, hugging it close to her chest. She didn't say anything else.

Neither said anything for a long while. Tohsaka spoke eventually. "What do you mean when you said 'nothing is true and everything is permitted'?"

Michael thought for a moment. "To say that nothing is true is to realize that the foundations of society are fragile, and that we must be the shepherds of our own civilization."

He searched for more words before continuing. "To say that everything is permitted is to understand that we are the architects of our actions, and that we must live with their consequences, whether glorious or tragic."

He let the words sink in. "This is what means to be an Assassin."

Both were silent. She spoke again. "You're a weird guy, Michael." He shrugged.

"So, have you thought of a name for it yet?" Michael looked at her, curious about the question.

"Hmm? What do you mean?" His confusion was evident on his face.

Tohsaka rolled her eyes. "The Sword, you idiot. I'm talking about the Sword. Have you given it a name yet?"

Michael looked at the Sword, now sheathed and laying across the foot of his bed. He shook his head. "I didn't think to."

She sighed. "Oh come on. All powerful swords have a name. If it's as powerful as that, it should have one."

Before he could say anything, she stood and snatched it, awkwardly because of it's length. Michael chuckled; she wasn't much taller than the sword.

She asked about it's abilities, becoming more interested as he spoke.

"The blade seems to be on fire when it's wielded in battle, for starters. When it's swung, it leaves an ash trail suspended in the air, which doesn't impede the wielder's view. As well, it protects the bearer from projectile attacks, whether it's being wielded or not."

He left out the apparent bloodthirstiness of the blade. He didn't think she needed to know that.

She examined it for a long while, running a finger along it multiple times. After a few minutes, her expression brightened.

"I've got it!" She hand it to him, hilt first. "You can thank me later. For now, call it '_Nigrum: Blade of the Fallen Seraph.'_"

She thought for a moment, hands on her hips. "Hmm, I suppose I should explain why I called it that."

Michael examined the blade again. "'_Nigrum_' is Latin for 'black heart,' correct?" She nodded. "I can see that. I assume you added on the 'Fallen Seraph' on account of the fire and the black wings on the crossguard?" She nodded again.

Michael smiled. He liked the name. It fit, somehow. He looked up at her. "Thank you. I like it."

She crossed her arms. "Like I said, you can thank me later." She began to walk towards the door.

Michael smirked, an idea coming in to his head. "Fair enough. Lunch then, tomorrow? My treat?" He whispered and incantation, using his Wind Magecraft to turn the light off.

He heard her stutter, then stomp out of the room. He smiled. Not an overwhelming success, but today had been a good day.

With that, the last of the house's lights turned off, and the alliance went to sleep.

* * *

_Hey all! I hope youre all on the edge of your seats! I wanted this chapter to focus slightly more on Assassin; he has't been in the spotlight much as of late._

_This week, I'll be addressing some concerns, hopefully before they pop up in the reviews. On the list of things to go through this AN:_

_1. An explanation for why Assassin's and Saber's fight began and ended the way it did._

_2. A more in-depth description of Michael's new sword._

_3. A hint to the inner workings and history of this version of the Nasuverse._

_To begin with, Assassin and Saber are fairly evenly matched. Both are superbly skilled swordsmen, but Assassin's versatility gives him a slight edge. Depending on the weapons he's wielding, his speed is slower or faster, and this is why, combined with his superior agility, he has a slight edge over Saber. Were Saber to be summoned under a different Master, Tohsaka, for instance, the fight would likely end much differently, as Saber's parameters are all reduced to some extent when she is summoned under an incapable Master like Shirou._

_Saber, in this version, has a bit of a "no nonsense" attitude, partially because of her treatment under Kiritsugu during the Fourth Holy Grail War. She largely disagrees with Michael and Tohsaka's cautious attitudes, and doesn't really appreciate the way Shirou has treated her thus far. This led to her taking the initiative, charging off to fight Caster alone._

_As you may or may not have guessed, its likely, in this story, she'd have died had Assassin not been there. Saber could certainly take on Caster in a fight; however, not only was there an entire army in her way, but Berserker was there was well. Had she used Excalibur as she planned, it's highly likely that Caster and her army would've been easily defeated. However, Berserker would've been able to withstand the attack, and she'd have fallen unconscious soon after firing the sword's attack, making her easy pickings for either Rider or Berserker._

_As for the Sword of Eden now in Michael's possession, I realize it may be considered too strong, especially in conjunction with the Apple, at first glance. Let me explain in greater detail:_

_Pieces of Eden are notorious for being great, powerful artifacts, and the various Swords are no different. They grant their wielders great power and leadership, but often times, at a great cost. In addition, the longer a Piece is used consecutively, the more painful the usage becomes; Ezio found it much less painful, and more efficient, to use the Apple he carried in short bursts, rather than for long durations. Michael will do the same._

_Michael is also aware of the danger the Sword and Apple pose not only to himself, but those around him. He will be reluctant to rely on them at all, for fear of becoming addicted to the power and falling into madness, like so many others before him. The Sword is, as noted by Michael himself, semi-sentient and particularly bloodthirsty._

_In any case, the Sword is at, or very near the level of a Noble Phantasm; it can be equated to be of a similar nature to Fragarach, a modern-day item of great power. In terms of ranking, it would be around an A or B+ parameter ranking._

_It has been christened "Nigrum: Blade of the Fallen Seraph" by Tohsaka, due to the color and shape of the crossguard. It's longsword, what would be called a hand-and-a-half sword (or a bastard sword) by modern swordsmiths. The blade is roughly 45 inches, and the rest of the sword is another 10 or so inches, making the entire weapon around 55 inches (which, for fun facts, is nearly as big as Saber; she stands at about 60.5 inches). The metal it's composed of is lightweight, contrary to it's length; by Assassin and Michael's estimation, it doesn't weigh more than 3 or so pounds._

_The sword glows, much like Excalibur does, the blade emitting a fiery, dancing light. It also bears runes, marking it as not of human origin. It has two abilities: the first would be classified as an Anti-Unit Noble Phantasm. When swung, the blade leaves an ash trail in it's wake, impeding vision of everyone except the wielder, and burning them on contact._

_The second would be closest to a Barrier Noble Phantasm. The Sword creates what is essentially a force field around it's owner, shielding them from projectiles, even when not drawn. The projectiles ricochet in random directions. It's not an absolute defense; it's possible that the barrier could be overwhelmed, if it hard and fast enough._

_In accordance with the legends, Nigrum shares a trait with other Swords; they all boost the wielder's Charisma, and Mental/Magic Resistance._

_To counter-balance these powerful abilities, the Sword's power acts as a sort of drug. Unwary users will become addicted to the power, becoming more and more insane. It doesn't help that the Sword seems to whisper, tugging at their mind and begging to be released._

_The Apple is much the same in both disadvantages and dangers as the Sword, albeit without the inherent "evilness." It's a fairly normal Apple, granting control over minds and bodies, allowing the user to warp reality and such. Both Magus and those with First Civilization blood are slightly immune to these effects._

_The Pieces have the potential to be great weapons for Michael and the Assassins in their ever-present War against the Templars. On the other hand, if Michael succumbs to the power, they have the potential to greatly change the face of the world. It's a double-edged sword, quite literally._

_As for this reality... Think of it as a slight mix of both the Nasuverse and the history of the Assassin's Creed universe. Assassins such as Ezio and Altair have had their legends recorded in the Throne of Heroes. If I were to write the preceding story, the one of the Fourth Holy Grail War, Rider would have use of the Staff lent to him by the Templars. Rider (Medusa) has a slight weakness to them, on account of being slain by one via Perseus, and so on and so forth._

_It's a blend of both that I've yet to work the more subtle details out of, though this is more related to my perfectionism and less to the story itself. For example, Heracles' or Gilgamesh's relationship to the First Civilization is a big part of their back stories in this universe, but it doesn't really effect the story - it's just me fleshing things out in my head._

_I wouldn't worry too much of it. All that's largely needed is that the First Civilization happened and then it wound down to the Age of Man beginning with Gilgamesh._

_In any case, feel free to tell me your thoughts on the story so far, as well as your predictions! I love reading them; some of you are quite perceptive, and others have put forth ideas I hadn't thought of (though I unfortunately won't use them, as I have the story pretty much set at this point)._

_I look forward to hearing from you all soon!_


	7. Update - April 13th

Sorry everyone!

I've been really busy the past two weeks, between things that have gone on in my groups of friends, both in the physical and internet worlds, a new job, stress with my family and other things. I haven't had much time to sit down and hammer out what I wanted to.

I did have about have of Chapter 6 penned out roughly; unfortunately, I didn't like the way it had gone, so I've decided to scrap that and work it out again, hopefully a bit differently.

That said, the next chapter be up sometime between tonight and Tuesday, depending on how far I get and how long it takes me to polish it up. It will encompass both Chapter 6 and Chapter 7, so it will be quite long - around 20,000 words give or take (roughly the length of two chapters put together).

I will also be doing some other things from now on as well - I've gotten a few ideas for some things set both before and after this storyline, so look forward to those as well. Don't fret; they will all be different stories, whether short or long, and will have their own pages. Nothing will interfere with Fate/creed, and it's my first priority for now.

During my time mindlessly doing things on the job, I've also come up with a few ways to further blend up the Fate universe (or perhaps more appropriately, the entire Nasuverse) with that of the Assassin's Creed universe. That will be expanded upon in the 10th update, which will be separate from Chapter 10 itself. It'll also include a few other goodies, such as musical themes I've chosen for each character (featuring the likes of theatrical groups such as Two Steps From Hell, Immediate Music, and other, solitary composers like John Dreamer and Zack Hemsey), some hints at what's to come, and an in-depth look at everyone and their abilities, characteristics, and histories in this changed universe.

I look forward to hearing all of your thoughts and predictions of what's to come! Again, I'm very sorry for the quietness, this story will continue, I just haven't gotten it the way I've wished it to be.

Remember, my friends: Nothing is true, everything is permitted.


End file.
